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{"id":2439778926692,"title":"Experiencing Christ's Love: Establishing a life of worship, prayer, study, service and reflection","handle":"experiencing-christs-love-establishing-a-life-of-worship-prayer-study-service-and-reflection","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn Experiencing Christ's Love, well-known writer John Twisleton reminds us of Jesus' gracious challenge to love God with heart, soul and mind, and to love our neighbour and ourselves. Against the backdrop of the message of God's unconditional love in Jesus Christ, the author delivers a wake-up call to the basic Christian patterns of worship, prayer, study, service and reflection. These, he claims, serve to take God's hand in ours, leading us into his divine possibilities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eContents\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1 First love: worship\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eYou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2 Second love: prayer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eYou shall love the Lord your God with all your soul\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e3 Third love: study\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eYou shall love the Lord your God with all your mind\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e4 Fourth love: service\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eYou shall love your neighbour\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e5 Fifth love: reflection\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eYou shall love... yourself\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohn Twisleton is based in Sussex and the former parish priest of Horsted Keynes in Chichester Diocese, where he also led the diocesan mission and renewal team for eight years. He has also worked as an Area Missioner in London Diocese and as Principal of an ordination training centre in Guyana. He has written on issues including baptism, confession, priesthood, prayer and healing, and he broadcasts regularly on Premier Radio.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo read John's lockdown blog click \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/blogs\/collections\/john-twistleton-writes-about-experiencing-christs-love-in-a-pandemic\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLove is a word that our culture has grossly misunderstood, often described as mere romantic feeling. Yet in the scriptures love is always active. God's love always issues in action. In this very helpful book John fleshes out what an active expression of loving God and loving neighbour looks like. Using the picture of a hand, five fingers reaching out to God, he places worship, prayer, study, service and reflection in the framework of the great commandment. This helpful metaphorical treatment is both a challenge and an encouragement to deeper Christian living. John brings together his catholic and charismatic spirituality into a gem of a book that richly rewards prayerful study.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Rt Rev Richard Jackson - Bishop of Lewes \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe five chapters of John Twisleton's book lay before us a comprehensive structure for reviewing our rule of life of worship, prayer, study, service and reflection, to encourage the reader to experience more deeply the love of Christ. He draws at length from his own spiritual journal and pastoral work to demonstrate how he has experienced and grown his spiritual discipleship. There are also riches here from past and present spiritual writers, to encourage the reader to explore further. The Summary of the Law is presented in sections at the start of each of the five chapters of the book. Throughout, we are given a prayerful reading of the scriptures. Each chapter is worth reflecting on at some length. There is distilled wisdom here worth pondering on. This is a timely book for us in Chichester Diocese as we mark the Year of the Bible.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Canon Andrew Robinson\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe five chapters of John Twisleton's book lay before us a comprehensive structure for reviewing our rule of life of worship, prayer, study, service and reflection to encourage the reader to experience more deeply the love of Christ.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe draws on his own spiritual journey and pastoral work to demonstrate how he has experienced and grown his spiritual discipleship. There are also riches here from past and present spiritual writers to encourage the reader to explore further.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Summary of the Law is presented in sections at the start of each chapter. Throughout we are given a prayerful reading of the scriptures. Each chapter is worth reflecting on at some length. There is a distilled wisdom here worth pondering on.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a timely book for the diocese in this Year of the Bible and has been commended by the Bishop of Lewes, The Right Revd Richard Jackson.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe said: 'Love is a word that our culture has grossly misunderstood, often described as mere romantic feeling. Yet in the scriptures love is always active. God's love always issues in action.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'In this very helpful book John fleshes out what an active expression of loving God and loving neighbour looks like. Using the picture of a hand, five fingers reaching out to God, he places worship, prayer, study, service and reflection in the framework of the great commandment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'This helpful metaphorical treatment is a both a challenge and an encouragement to deeper Christian living. John brings together his catholic and charismatic spirituality into a gem of a book that richly rewards prayerful study.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed in Faith in Sussex, Summer 2017\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:22:23+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:22:25+00:00","vendor":"John Twisleton","type":"Paperback","tags":["Apr-17","For individuals","Prayer","Spirituality"],"price":699,"price_min":699,"price_max":699,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769462710372,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857465177","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Experiencing Christ's Love: Establishing a life of worship, prayer, study, service and reflection - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":699,"weight":114,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857465177","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465177-l.jpg?v=1549043152"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465177-l.jpg?v=1549043152","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238877954187,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"width":427,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465177-l.jpg?v=1549043152"},"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465177-l.jpg?v=1549043152","width":427}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eIn Experiencing Christ's Love, well-known writer John Twisleton reminds us of Jesus' gracious challenge to love God with heart, soul and mind, and to love our neighbour and ourselves. Against the backdrop of the message of God's unconditional love in Jesus Christ, the author delivers a wake-up call to the basic Christian patterns of worship, prayer, study, service and reflection. These, he claims, serve to take God's hand in ours, leading us into his divine possibilities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eContents\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1 First love: worship\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eYou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2 Second love: prayer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eYou shall love the Lord your God with all your soul\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e3 Third love: study\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eYou shall love the Lord your God with all your mind\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e4 Fourth love: service\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eYou shall love your neighbour\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e5 Fifth love: reflection\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eYou shall love... yourself\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohn Twisleton is based in Sussex and the former parish priest of Horsted Keynes in Chichester Diocese, where he also led the diocesan mission and renewal team for eight years. He has also worked as an Area Missioner in London Diocese and as Principal of an ordination training centre in Guyana. He has written on issues including baptism, confession, priesthood, prayer and healing, and he broadcasts regularly on Premier Radio.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo read John's lockdown blog click \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/blogs\/collections\/john-twistleton-writes-about-experiencing-christs-love-in-a-pandemic\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLove is a word that our culture has grossly misunderstood, often described as mere romantic feeling. Yet in the scriptures love is always active. God's love always issues in action. In this very helpful book John fleshes out what an active expression of loving God and loving neighbour looks like. Using the picture of a hand, five fingers reaching out to God, he places worship, prayer, study, service and reflection in the framework of the great commandment. This helpful metaphorical treatment is both a challenge and an encouragement to deeper Christian living. John brings together his catholic and charismatic spirituality into a gem of a book that richly rewards prayerful study.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Rt Rev Richard Jackson - Bishop of Lewes \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe five chapters of John Twisleton's book lay before us a comprehensive structure for reviewing our rule of life of worship, prayer, study, service and reflection, to encourage the reader to experience more deeply the love of Christ. He draws at length from his own spiritual journal and pastoral work to demonstrate how he has experienced and grown his spiritual discipleship. There are also riches here from past and present spiritual writers, to encourage the reader to explore further. The Summary of the Law is presented in sections at the start of each of the five chapters of the book. Throughout, we are given a prayerful reading of the scriptures. Each chapter is worth reflecting on at some length. There is distilled wisdom here worth pondering on. This is a timely book for us in Chichester Diocese as we mark the Year of the Bible.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Canon Andrew Robinson\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe five chapters of John Twisleton's book lay before us a comprehensive structure for reviewing our rule of life of worship, prayer, study, service and reflection to encourage the reader to experience more deeply the love of Christ.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe draws on his own spiritual journey and pastoral work to demonstrate how he has experienced and grown his spiritual discipleship. There are also riches here from past and present spiritual writers to encourage the reader to explore further.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Summary of the Law is presented in sections at the start of each chapter. Throughout we are given a prayerful reading of the scriptures. Each chapter is worth reflecting on at some length. There is a distilled wisdom here worth pondering on.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a timely book for the diocese in this Year of the Bible and has been commended by the Bishop of Lewes, The Right Revd Richard Jackson.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe said: 'Love is a word that our culture has grossly misunderstood, often described as mere romantic feeling. Yet in the scriptures love is always active. God's love always issues in action.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'In this very helpful book John fleshes out what an active expression of loving God and loving neighbour looks like. Using the picture of a hand, five fingers reaching out to God, he places worship, prayer, study, service and reflection in the framework of the great commandment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'This helpful metaphorical treatment is a both a challenge and an encouragement to deeper Christian living. John brings together his catholic and charismatic spirituality into a gem of a book that richly rewards prayerful study.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed in Faith in Sussex, Summer 2017\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e"}
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Experiencing Christ's Love: Establishing a life of worship, prayer, study, service and reflection
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In Experiencing Christ's Love, well-known writer John Twisleton reminds us of Jesus' gracious challenge to love God with heart, soul...
{"id":5607335362712,"title":"Exploring Christian Festivals around the World in Collective Worship","handle":"exploring-christian-festivals-around-the-world-in-collective-worship","description":"\u003cp\u003ePhotos and background information on Christian festivals as they are celebrated in various countries, with ideas for use in Collective Worship. Also beneficial for RE and other subject lessons. The photos are also supplied as separate image files for free and easy access and use.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe photos are also available to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/thebiblereadingfellowship\/albums\/72157714941301871\"\u003edownload from Flickr\u003c\/a\u003e as separate image files for free and easy access and use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJane Butcher is BRF’s Children and Families Pioneer and oversees the Barnabas in schools programme. She has a heart to support families to live out faith in their daily lives. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChris Hudson is an experienced primary teacher, subject leader and educational author, mostly working in the North-East of England. He's had 22 years' experience of teaching in a range of primary schools. As a published educational author, he has 17 commissioned books to date, and has created wide range of material for educational websites.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2020-08-10T10:19:38+01:00","created_at":"2020-08-07T10:43:04+01:00","vendor":"Jane Butcher","type":"PDF Download","tags":["Collective worship","For schools","PDF"],"price":0,"price_min":0,"price_max":0,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":35660533956760,"title":"PDF","option1":"PDF","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800390300","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Exploring Christian Festivals around the World in Collective Worship - PDF","public_title":"PDF","options":["PDF"],"price":0,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"DOWNLOAD0331","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781800390331.jpg?v=1596793386"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781800390331.jpg?v=1596793386","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":10767283978392,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":1800,"width":1273,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781800390331.jpg?v=1596793386"},"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":1800,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781800390331.jpg?v=1596793386","width":1273}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003ePhotos and background information on Christian festivals as they are celebrated in various countries, with ideas for use in Collective Worship. Also beneficial for RE and other subject lessons. The photos are also supplied as separate image files for free and easy access and use.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe photos are also available to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/thebiblereadingfellowship\/albums\/72157714941301871\"\u003edownload from Flickr\u003c\/a\u003e as separate image files for free and easy access and use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJane Butcher is BRF’s Children and Families Pioneer and oversees the Barnabas in schools programme. She has a heart to support families to live out faith in their daily lives. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChris Hudson is an experienced primary teacher, subject leader and educational author, mostly working in the North-East of England. He's had 22 years' experience of teaching in a range of primary schools. As a published educational author, he has 17 commissioned books to date, and has created wide range of material for educational websites.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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Exploring Christian Festivals around the World in Collective Worship
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Photos and background information on Christian festivals as they are celebrated in various countries, with ideas for use in Collective...
{"id":6317265977535,"title":"Extreme Crafts for Messy Churches: 80 activity ideas for the adventurous","handle":"extreme-crafts-for-messy-churches-80-activity-ideas-for-the-adventurous","description":"\u003cp\u003eFully revised and expanded new edition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Extreme Mess… is the world ready for this? I am!’\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLucy Moore, founder of Messy Church\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this fully revised and expanded new edition, Barry Brand and Pete Maidment offer 80 activities for Messy Church sessions, carefully crafted to appeal to male as well as female participants. They challenge the assumption that Messy Church 'isn't really for men or boys' and offer approaches to engage men and boys in an intentional way. Featuring sections on Big Stuff, Construction, Science, Arty and Edible Crafts, this book provides inspiration for creating a Messy Church that everyone will love to be part of.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarry Brand is Families Worker at the Parish of Bitterne Church LEP, and leads a large Messy Church. He also runs the graphic design company Brand Creative.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePete Maidment is Chaplain at Lord Wandsworth College near Basingstoke, and an author, trainer and speaker. He was previously Youth Adviser for the Diocese of Winchester.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2021-06-28T13:21:31+01:00","created_at":"2021-02-09T15:01:01+00:00","vendor":"Barry Brand","type":"Paperback","tags":["Jul-21","Messy Church books"],"price":999,"price_min":999,"price_max":999,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":38148465557695,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857469731","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":27941845696703,"product_id":6317265977535,"position":1,"created_at":"2021-02-25T10:30:01+00:00","updated_at":"2021-02-25T10:30:02+00:00","alt":null,"width":1000,"height":1524,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857469731.jpg?v=1614249002","variant_ids":[38148465557695,38148465590463]},"available":true,"name":"Extreme Crafts for Messy Churches: 80 activity ideas for the adventurous - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":999,"weight":255,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857469731","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":20176669311167,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":1524,"width":1000,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857469731.jpg?v=1614249002"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":38148465590463,"title":"PDF","option1":"PDF","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857469748","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":27941845696703,"product_id":6317265977535,"position":1,"created_at":"2021-02-25T10:30:01+00:00","updated_at":"2021-02-25T10:30:02+00:00","alt":null,"width":1000,"height":1524,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857469731.jpg?v=1614249002","variant_ids":[38148465557695,38148465590463]},"available":true,"name":"Extreme Crafts for Messy Churches: 80 activity ideas for the adventurous - PDF","public_title":"PDF","options":["PDF"],"price":999,"weight":255,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857469748","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":20176669311167,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":1524,"width":1000,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857469731.jpg?v=1614249002"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857469731.jpg?v=1614249002"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857469731.jpg?v=1614249002","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":20176669311167,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":1524,"width":1000,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857469731.jpg?v=1614249002"},"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":1524,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857469731.jpg?v=1614249002","width":1000}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eFully revised and expanded new edition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Extreme Mess… is the world ready for this? I am!’\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLucy Moore, founder of Messy Church\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this fully revised and expanded new edition, Barry Brand and Pete Maidment offer 80 activities for Messy Church sessions, carefully crafted to appeal to male as well as female participants. They challenge the assumption that Messy Church 'isn't really for men or boys' and offer approaches to engage men and boys in an intentional way. Featuring sections on Big Stuff, Construction, Science, Arty and Edible Crafts, this book provides inspiration for creating a Messy Church that everyone will love to be part of.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarry Brand is Families Worker at the Parish of Bitterne Church LEP, and leads a large Messy Church. He also runs the graphic design company Brand Creative.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePete Maidment is Chaplain at Lord Wandsworth College near Basingstoke, and an author, trainer and speaker. He was previously Youth Adviser for the Diocese of Winchester.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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Extreme Crafts for Messy Churches: 80 activity ideas for the adventurous
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Fully revised and expanded new edition.‘Extreme Mess… is the world ready for this? I am!’Lucy Moore, founder of Messy Church...
{"id":2439791706212,"title":"Facing Death","handle":"facing-death","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis book of 18 undated reflections draws comfort and encouragement from the Bible and from the author's own experience for those going through life-limiting illness and for their family and carers. With moving vulnerability and without denying the difficult reality of the situation, Rachel Boulding suggests a way to confront terminal illness with faith and hope in a loving God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\nRachel Boulding was Deputy Editor of the Church Times, having previously worked at Church House Publishing, where she helped to produce the Common Worship materials. She contributed regularly to BRF's New Daylight Bible reading notes, and also wrote Celebrating the King James Version (BRF, 2010), Companions on the Bethlehem Road (BRF, 2012) and Facing Death (BRF, 2017).\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:23:19+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:23:20+00:00","vendor":"Rachel Boulding","type":"Paperback","tags":["Jan-17","Pastoral care"],"price":399,"price_min":399,"price_max":399,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769639624804,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857465641","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Facing Death - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":399,"weight":63,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857465641","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465641-l.jpg?v=1549043141"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465641-l.jpg?v=1549043141","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238879330443,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.705,"height":650,"width":458,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465641-l.jpg?v=1549043141"},"aspect_ratio":0.705,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465641-l.jpg?v=1549043141","width":458}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eThis book of 18 undated reflections draws comfort and encouragement from the Bible and from the author's own experience for those going through life-limiting illness and for their family and carers. With moving vulnerability and without denying the difficult reality of the situation, Rachel Boulding suggests a way to confront terminal illness with faith and hope in a loving God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\nRachel Boulding was Deputy Editor of the Church Times, having previously worked at Church House Publishing, where she helped to produce the Common Worship materials. She contributed regularly to BRF's New Daylight Bible reading notes, and also wrote Celebrating the King James Version (BRF, 2010), Companions on the Bethlehem Road (BRF, 2012) and Facing Death (BRF, 2017).\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n"}
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Facing Death
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{"id":2439796850788,"title":"Facing Midlife","handle":"facing-midlife","description":"\u003cp\u003eA book of undated biblical reflections, Facing Midlife is a unique devotional guide to one of the most spiritually important transitions in life. Midlife brings with it both difficulty and opportunity, and the scriptures show us how to handle these challenges wisely so that in the second half of life we reach our full potential and find our unique God-given vocation. Tony Horsfall shows that God is involved in the midlife transition, using it to shape and form us into the likeness of Christ, and to prepare us for the exciting calling he still has for us. Rather than something to be avoided or ignored, the midlife transition is one to be embraced confidently in the knowledge that God is at work in all the circumstances of our lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/TonyHorsfall_2014_480x480.png?v=1676494125\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" width=\"230\" height=\"345\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/TonyHorsfall_2014_480x480.png?v=1676494125\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\nTony Horsfall is a freelance trainer and associate trainer with EQUIP, a missions programme based at Bawtry Hall near Doncaster, England. He is an elder of his local church in West Yorkshire, and , regularly travels abroad leading retreats and Quiet Days. He has written a number of other books for BRF, including Servant Ministry (2013), Rhythms of Grace (2012), Working from a Place of Rest (2010) and Mentoring for Spiritual Growth (2008). He also contributes to New Daylight Bible reading notes.\n\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:23:37+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:23:38+00:00","vendor":"Tony Horsfall","type":"Paperback","tags":["Nov-17","Pastoral care"],"price":399,"price_min":399,"price_max":399,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769712009316,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857465818","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":7436845940836,"product_id":2439796850788,"position":1,"created_at":"2019-01-18T15:23:38+00:00","updated_at":"2019-02-01T17:45:38+00:00","alt":null,"width":457,"height":650,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465818-l.jpg?v=1549043138","variant_ids":[21769712009316]},"available":true,"name":"Facing Midlife - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":399,"weight":70,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857465818","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":3238879658123,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.703,"height":650,"width":457,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465818-l.jpg?v=1549043138"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465818-l.jpg?v=1549043138"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465818-l.jpg?v=1549043138","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238879658123,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.703,"height":650,"width":457,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465818-l.jpg?v=1549043138"},"aspect_ratio":0.703,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465818-l.jpg?v=1549043138","width":457}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eA book of undated biblical reflections, Facing Midlife is a unique devotional guide to one of the most spiritually important transitions in life. Midlife brings with it both difficulty and opportunity, and the scriptures show us how to handle these challenges wisely so that in the second half of life we reach our full potential and find our unique God-given vocation. Tony Horsfall shows that God is involved in the midlife transition, using it to shape and form us into the likeness of Christ, and to prepare us for the exciting calling he still has for us. Rather than something to be avoided or ignored, the midlife transition is one to be embraced confidently in the knowledge that God is at work in all the circumstances of our lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/TonyHorsfall_2014_480x480.png?v=1676494125\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" width=\"230\" height=\"345\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/TonyHorsfall_2014_480x480.png?v=1676494125\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\nTony Horsfall is a freelance trainer and associate trainer with EQUIP, a missions programme based at Bawtry Hall near Doncaster, England. He is an elder of his local church in West Yorkshire, and , regularly travels abroad leading retreats and Quiet Days. He has written a number of other books for BRF, including Servant Ministry (2013), Rhythms of Grace (2012), Working from a Place of Rest (2010) and Mentoring for Spiritual Growth (2008). He also contributes to New Daylight Bible reading notes.\n\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e"}
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Facing Midlife
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{"id":2439787642980,"title":"Faith in the Making: Praying it, talking it, living it","handle":"faith-in-the-making-praying-it-talking-it-living-it","description":"\u003cp\u003eIf faith is 'being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see', what does that look like in practice today? In a world that is largely unsure and uncertain, how do we gain our confidence?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFaith in the Making recognises the problem and seeks the answer in the list of faithful heroes found in Hebrews 11. This accessible devotional resource will inspire individuals and groups to live more confidently for God in today's world. Heroic faith is far more attainable than we often think!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead Lyndall's Lockdown blog \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/blogs\/collections\/lyndall-bywater-author-of-prayer-in-the-making-and-faith-in-the-making-learn-a-lot-from-her-least-favourite-bible-verse-in-her-lockdown-reflection\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book that will inspire, deepen and challenge your understanding of Christian faith. Lyndall provides a roadmap which connects the story of faith heroes to our story through an excellent combination of theology, practice and application for our everyday lives. I would highly recommend this as a resource for a small group study or for any individual searching for ways to help them grow stronger in their faith.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJani Rubery, Organisational psychologist and Spiritual Mentor\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/LyndallBywater_480x480.jpg?v=1676496804\" width=\"150\" height=\"220\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLyndall Bywater is a freelance speaker and writer, specialising in the subject of prayer. Having worked for ten years as The Salvation Army's UK prayer coordinator, she is now part of Connecting the Isles and works with 24-7 Prayer on its Europe team. She heads up Canterbury Boiler Room, an interdenominational prayer community, and contributes to BRF's Day by Day with God Bible reading notes. She is married to Phil.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Reader website, January 2019. Review by Cavan Wood\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSubtitled 'praying it, talking it, living it', this book considers Hebrews 11's great chapter of the people of faith. Bywater writes with passion about her topic and helps us to see the possible ways we can learn from biblical stories and people. There are some terrific ideas for prayer and worship, very stimulating and challenging questions in the 'talking it' section, and some suggestions in 'living it.' This is a book for the individual and the small group, and perhaps even the basis of a preaching series. What is very impressive is the honesty of the author who is keen to show us that she struggles with life every bit as much as the great heroes of the faith. I warmly recommend it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Cavan Wood\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e____________________________________________\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReform\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometimes it is hard to hold onto what we have received in worship - to carry it with us into the coming week and use it to make a real difference in the world (or even with those alongside whom we work and live). Sometimes we cannot make the Bible study group. We long for something that can inspire and energise us to respond in action as well as words. This book ticks all the boxes in giving us something to read that is Bible-based, challenging, interesting, personal, realistic and practical. It is easy to read but also honest. It acknowledges the vulnerabilities and weaknesses we all struggle with and uses the author's own life experiences to expand on texts and bring the characters to life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBywater bases the whole book on Hebrews 11 and the characters from the Old Testament who are mentioned in it. She feels each one of these were heroes in their own right, and that we can learn from both their ability to hold onto hope wherever they found themselves and from the stories of their friendship with God which fuelled their faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach chapter has the same structure: a Bible text from Hebrews 11, a reflection on the character(s) that also includes the author's personal narrative, then ideas for praying, talking and living out faith (this section focuses on the 'hope' of each character.) A passage from the Old Testament follows, relating to the character(s) and the 'friendship' aspect of their story, which then leads to more ideas for praying, talking and living out faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI found it unsettling that God was always addressed using a male pronoun and I was unable to identify with some of the words Bywater used to portray God and how God relates to humankind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, that did not stop the book from being useful. It was practical, interesting and encouraged us to step out in faith, to be heroes - just like the ones we read about in the Bible - despite our human failings and shortcomings. To carry hope and friendship with God as travelling aids.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJenny Mills is Minister of Newport Pagnell United Reformed Church and West End United Church, Wolverton, Milton Keynes\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLyndall is already known for her creativity, writings and teaching on prayer, and this is her first book. It is an honest reflection of faith in a challenging culture yet with the possibilities of how God can bring about real change. Her style is relaxed and humorous with lots of practical application.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin the book the writer is heart-breakingly honest about the fragility of faith when faced with tragedy and atrocity in our world. She acknowledges how the word faith conjures up feelings of excitement and guilt at the same time, but ultimately faith is the call for Christians to look beyond what they can immediately see to a different reality, what the writer of Hebrews calls living by faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLyndall takes the heroes of Hebrews 11, in easy to read chapters. She encourages the reader to think about the people of faith mentioned there, recognising ordinariness within great acts of faith. Describing them as people who 'soared their way to impossible things because they lost sight of their own limitations and got caught up in the bigness of God,' Lyndall opens up the possibility that all Christians can be like those in Hebrews 11. Whether taking a leap with God results in crash-landing or truly flying, faith is less about rules and observances and more about trust in God's presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor Christians bored with the mediocre and wanting to change the world, this book will inspire them to put more faith in what God can do where they live. Each chapter ends with opportunity for reflection, putting what has been explored into practice, and developing personal rhythms of prayer for daily life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough the writer physically is unable to see, this book is full of enlightening stories, spiritual insight, and the reality of how God makes his vision clear to those who dare to live by faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAndrea Still\u003c\/strong\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:23:03+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:23:05+00:00","vendor":"Lyndall Bywater","type":"Paperback","tags":["Feb-18","For individuals","Kindle","Prayer","Torch Trust"],"price":799,"price_min":799,"price_max":799,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769596698724,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857465559","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Faith in the Making: Praying it, talking it, living it - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":799,"weight":163,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857465559","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465559-l.jpg?v=1549043144"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465559-l.jpg?v=1549043144","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238879035531,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"width":427,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465559-l.jpg?v=1549043144"},"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465559-l.jpg?v=1549043144","width":427}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eIf faith is 'being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see', what does that look like in practice today? In a world that is largely unsure and uncertain, how do we gain our confidence?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFaith in the Making recognises the problem and seeks the answer in the list of faithful heroes found in Hebrews 11. This accessible devotional resource will inspire individuals and groups to live more confidently for God in today's world. Heroic faith is far more attainable than we often think!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead Lyndall's Lockdown blog \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/blogs\/collections\/lyndall-bywater-author-of-prayer-in-the-making-and-faith-in-the-making-learn-a-lot-from-her-least-favourite-bible-verse-in-her-lockdown-reflection\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book that will inspire, deepen and challenge your understanding of Christian faith. Lyndall provides a roadmap which connects the story of faith heroes to our story through an excellent combination of theology, practice and application for our everyday lives. I would highly recommend this as a resource for a small group study or for any individual searching for ways to help them grow stronger in their faith.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJani Rubery, Organisational psychologist and Spiritual Mentor\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/LyndallBywater_480x480.jpg?v=1676496804\" width=\"150\" height=\"220\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLyndall Bywater is a freelance speaker and writer, specialising in the subject of prayer. Having worked for ten years as The Salvation Army's UK prayer coordinator, she is now part of Connecting the Isles and works with 24-7 Prayer on its Europe team. She heads up Canterbury Boiler Room, an interdenominational prayer community, and contributes to BRF's Day by Day with God Bible reading notes. She is married to Phil.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Reader website, January 2019. Review by Cavan Wood\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSubtitled 'praying it, talking it, living it', this book considers Hebrews 11's great chapter of the people of faith. Bywater writes with passion about her topic and helps us to see the possible ways we can learn from biblical stories and people. There are some terrific ideas for prayer and worship, very stimulating and challenging questions in the 'talking it' section, and some suggestions in 'living it.' This is a book for the individual and the small group, and perhaps even the basis of a preaching series. What is very impressive is the honesty of the author who is keen to show us that she struggles with life every bit as much as the great heroes of the faith. I warmly recommend it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Cavan Wood\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e____________________________________________\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReform\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometimes it is hard to hold onto what we have received in worship - to carry it with us into the coming week and use it to make a real difference in the world (or even with those alongside whom we work and live). Sometimes we cannot make the Bible study group. We long for something that can inspire and energise us to respond in action as well as words. This book ticks all the boxes in giving us something to read that is Bible-based, challenging, interesting, personal, realistic and practical. It is easy to read but also honest. It acknowledges the vulnerabilities and weaknesses we all struggle with and uses the author's own life experiences to expand on texts and bring the characters to life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBywater bases the whole book on Hebrews 11 and the characters from the Old Testament who are mentioned in it. She feels each one of these were heroes in their own right, and that we can learn from both their ability to hold onto hope wherever they found themselves and from the stories of their friendship with God which fuelled their faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach chapter has the same structure: a Bible text from Hebrews 11, a reflection on the character(s) that also includes the author's personal narrative, then ideas for praying, talking and living out faith (this section focuses on the 'hope' of each character.) A passage from the Old Testament follows, relating to the character(s) and the 'friendship' aspect of their story, which then leads to more ideas for praying, talking and living out faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI found it unsettling that God was always addressed using a male pronoun and I was unable to identify with some of the words Bywater used to portray God and how God relates to humankind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, that did not stop the book from being useful. It was practical, interesting and encouraged us to step out in faith, to be heroes - just like the ones we read about in the Bible - despite our human failings and shortcomings. To carry hope and friendship with God as travelling aids.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJenny Mills is Minister of Newport Pagnell United Reformed Church and West End United Church, Wolverton, Milton Keynes\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLyndall is already known for her creativity, writings and teaching on prayer, and this is her first book. It is an honest reflection of faith in a challenging culture yet with the possibilities of how God can bring about real change. Her style is relaxed and humorous with lots of practical application.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin the book the writer is heart-breakingly honest about the fragility of faith when faced with tragedy and atrocity in our world. She acknowledges how the word faith conjures up feelings of excitement and guilt at the same time, but ultimately faith is the call for Christians to look beyond what they can immediately see to a different reality, what the writer of Hebrews calls living by faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLyndall takes the heroes of Hebrews 11, in easy to read chapters. She encourages the reader to think about the people of faith mentioned there, recognising ordinariness within great acts of faith. Describing them as people who 'soared their way to impossible things because they lost sight of their own limitations and got caught up in the bigness of God,' Lyndall opens up the possibility that all Christians can be like those in Hebrews 11. Whether taking a leap with God results in crash-landing or truly flying, faith is less about rules and observances and more about trust in God's presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor Christians bored with the mediocre and wanting to change the world, this book will inspire them to put more faith in what God can do where they live. Each chapter ends with opportunity for reflection, putting what has been explored into practice, and developing personal rhythms of prayer for daily life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough the writer physically is unable to see, this book is full of enlightening stories, spiritual insight, and the reality of how God makes his vision clear to those who dare to live by faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAndrea Still\u003c\/strong\u003e"}
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Faith in the Making: Praying it, talking it, living it
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If faith is 'being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see', what does...
{"id":2439827161188,"title":"Faithful Grandparents: Hope and love through the generations","handle":"faithful-grandparents-hope-and-love-through-the-generations","description":"\u003cp\u003eThere has never been a more important time to find meaningful and acceptable ways of passing on faith from one generation to the next. Part of this privilege and responsibility lies with grandparents who live authentic Christian lives. They can be the vital link between the gospel and the faith of a younger generation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFaithful Grandparents\u003c\/em\u003e is a visionary call to an older generation to take the initiative with courage and wisdom, humour and prayer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg height=\"324\" width=\"216\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/AnitaCleverlyauthorpicPREFERRED_480x480.jpg?v=1676497069\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnita Cleverly\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eReviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePreach, Spring 2020. Review by Alan Rashleigh\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is more than an element of truth in the adage, ‘You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.’ I was attracted to review this book because I am a grandparent with four grandchildren between the ages of 1 and 13. To be honest, I was expecting either a book which looked at the ideals of grandparenthood, where everything is hunky-dory and love abounds everywhere (a very creditable aim) or what to do (or not to do) to be the perfect grandparent. Being a realist, I wanted something between those two extremes, that was useful and practical.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book looks at relationships between grandparents, children and grandchildren – warts and all. There is seriousness: for example, the acrimonious breakdown of a marriage and grandchildren denied contact with grandparents, contrasting with the grandmother whose favourite activity was to camp in the attic with her grandchildren under a blue sheet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is humour: the mere thought of the author playing on a trampoline with her grandchildren who ‘shrieked with delight, deliberately throwing me off balance as I hurtled around.’ This is an image which should remind all grandparents of the need to recognise their physical abilities are more restricted than those of their grandchildren!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book draws attention to the responsibility of grandparents to pass on Christian values and ethics, to live Christian lives and to impart the Gospel message to their grandchildren, to be a constant in a world of disbelief. As parents are often working full time, this gives a fantastic opportunity to influence the lives of children for the good.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a well-researched, well-written book, full of wisdom, practical advice and helpful hints, balanced with biblical references and relevant quotes from people such as CS Lewis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Timothy Keller and many others including Jo Swinney.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany may consider the book a bit of a hotch-potch or disjointed, but that is part of its charm, and a way to encourage readers to read more which they reflect on their own relationships with their grandchildren. Well worth reading!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Alan Rashleigh\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChurch Times 27.09.19. Review by Dennis Richards \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis entertaining and challenging volume is written by a Christian grandparent for other grandparents. Its purpose is clearly defined. It is primarily intended to help grandparents who wish to hand on the baton of faith to a younger generation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is unashamedly biblical, and the writer freely acknowledges her Evangelical roots. But do not be misled. Anita Cleverly has lived a rich and interesting life. There is an avowedly ecumenical flavour to her life’s history, and one is left very much with the impression that her story still has chapters to be written.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf her 35 years in church ministry, in various guises, ten of them were spent in inner-city Paris, and it shows. She has clearly come under the influence of some great Catholic theologians, and speaks warmly of her Jesuit friends in Oxford. As she says, ‘My own church history has taken me through “Label Land”.’ She finds herself increasingly exploring the contemplative tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost important in a volume of this nature, the author is very aware of the speed of change in contemporary culture. The internet has changed everything. Individualism and relativism are today fundamental to the teenagers’ creed. She is well aware that grandparents today may face the prospect of a blended family, or a gay marriage and transgender discussion. She is very sure that ‘unconditional love’ defines what should be ‘on the tin’ for Christian grandparents.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven the vocabulary has changed, as I know to my cost. Writing this review as a grandfather of six, I find myself being mocked, lost in bewilderment, and, at times, genuinely scared that I’ve totally lost the plot. Pathetically trying to join in a game of football, I am exhorted to ‘Stop flexing, Grandad!’ Far from being worried about my physical welfare, they are actually telling me to stop showing off. Blank incomprehension on my part. Hilarity all round on theirs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe author’s predicament was even worse. She climbed on the grandchildren’s trampoline. Bad mistake. All of which tells you that there is plenty to make you smile in her account of her own experiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBest of all, it is a volume that makes you think. What kind of grandparent am I? Formal? Fun-seeker? Surrogate parent? Reservoir of family wisdom? Distant? It is also reassuring. Some things haven’t changed. The definitions for example. Grandparent: so easy to operate, even a child can do it. Grandparent: breaks most of the rules and loves every second of it. I can live with that. Thanks Anita.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDennis Richards is a former head of St Aidan’s C of E High School, Harrogate, North Yorkshire.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eevangelicals now October 2019. Review by Val Archer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGiven the seismic cultural, moral, sexual and social upheaval in Britain today, the author’s call to the older generation of Christians to model courage, wisdom, faith and prayer is both timely and vital – not least in passing on the ‘faith once delivered’ to children generally – and one’s grandchildren especially. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnita Cleverly has a lifetime of experience as a Christian mother and grandmother and in family ministry, which she ransacks to great effect. She writes with a light touch, interweaving gospel truths and scriptural wisdom with a sharp understanding of the complex challenges facing Christian parents today. All in all it makes for both an enjoyable and stimulating read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the opening insightful chapter on ‘21\u003csup\u003est\u003c\/sup\u003e Century Grandparents’, she quotes \u003cem\u003eThe Daily Telegraph \u003c\/em\u003ecolumnist Allison Pearson, who has discovered that ‘two thirds of the nation’s grandparents – that’s 5 million people – now provide regular childcare for their grandchildren’. The contact time with grandchildren in Britain today is at a very different level than was generally the case with previous generations. After the parent-child relationship, grandparents usually provide the second most important emotional influence in a child’s life. The opportunity and need is immense. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the 11 chapters which follow, the whole landscape of grandparenting is explored and practical biblical wisdom and advice brought to bear on a whole raft of issues – the art of listening, storytelling the family history, seeking to reach the heart of the child with the gospel, the vital place and role of the church and church family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo chapters, one ‘A Grandparent’s Creed’ and the other ‘A Grandparent’s Prayers’, are outstanding and worth buying the book for. Taking the Apostles’ Creed and reflecting and meditating on each phrase in the context of the challenges facing children today in our oft-pernicious culture, is so helpful. Praying for and with grandchildren takes the focus to that which any Christian parent of grandparent wants for their offspring – that they grow to love and serve Christ all their days.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAddressing some of the cultural, social and sexual changes in a chapter entitled ‘Shifting Tectonic Plates’ brings a rootedness and contemporary awareness that is much needed in Christian thinking today. Pointing out that it is not all ‘gloom and doom’, that many of the changes in society have been for the good, is a welcome corrective that recognises ‘common grace’ has not yet left town! At the same time the author goes on to provide a thoughtful critique of the blatantly anti-God agenda that is so prevalent. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe light Charismatic influences and context from which the author writes mean that on occasion there are one or two things those in other traditions might not always go along with, or perhaps express in different ways. However, to major on these would be to lose the great benefit and blessing this delightful book provides.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Val Archer: conference speaker, mother of four and grandmother of seven. Member of both The King’s Church Chessington and The Globe Church London.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Reader, Autumn 2019. Review by Howard Rowe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is for Christian grandparents. Anita Cleverly writes of her own journey and approach as a grandparent, and covers the responsibilities of the grandparent’s role in the twenty-first century, together with the opportunities we have, and the limitations we are subject to. The chapters on sensitive listening, the wonder of the created world, Bible stories and children’s questions are well covered. There is an encouraging view of the church today, and valuable advice regarding the changing landscape of culture and today’s technology. The chapter I enjoyed most was the one on praying for and with our grandchildren. Anita Cleverly has written a book of authentic Christian wisdom and grace, sprinkled with real comments from real people, and pieces of practical advice, for ourselves as well as for our families. She writes with feeling about the difficulties of being a faithful grandparent as well as the joys. I commend it to you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Howard Rowe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e___________________________________________\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReform, May 2019. Review by Ruth Allen\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is a gem. I read it quickly, because it is hard to put down, and I shall immediately read it again more slowly, to savour the wisdom that’s on every page. The title tells you what it’s about: encouragement for grandparents to share their faith with their grandchildren.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnita Cleverly is an experienced spiritual director and bereavement counsellor. Her sensitivity undergirds the wise words in every chapter. Never does she forget that we have our grandchildren on loan, and that discipline and criticism, however gently applied, are not our lot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first two chapters of the book survey what grandparenting really is, in our time and culture, recognising the different situations that many grandparents find themselves in. Many grandparents are left with very limited opportunities to build the relationship which permit the sharing of faith stories. There are useful suggestions for grandparents who have little contact with their grandchildren to make the most of the possibilities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeveral chapters help us to identify the essentials of our own faith, and ways in which they could be put over. One uses the Apostles’ Creed to help us focus. There are chapters on the Church and on the problems facing people of faith in an increasingly secular world, as well as one on the contentious issues facing Christians.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSubjects like human sexuality are dealt with gently and sensitively. We are encouraged never to pontificate but to accept our grandchildren’s choices with grace and love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is full apposite quotations from the bible and other Christian writers. It is very easy to read, the writer having the wonderful gift of being able to speak apparently straight to the individual reader. There are anecdotes galore, both funny and sad.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am genuinely looking forward to reading this a second time, and wholeheartedly commend it to any grandparent. Your grandchildren will be much blessed through it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eRuth Allen is \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003ea retired United Reformed minister based in Ilkeston, Derbyshire\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:25:33+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:25:35+00:00","vendor":"Anita Cleverly","type":"Paperback","tags":["Anna Chaplaincy books","Feb-19","Kindle","Parenting","Retired and inspired"],"price":999,"price_min":999,"price_max":999,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21770212933732,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857466617","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Faithful Grandparents: Hope and love through the generations - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":999,"weight":214,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857466617","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466617-l.jpg?v=1549043117"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466617-l.jpg?v=1549043117","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238881820811,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":650,"width":426,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466617-l.jpg?v=1549043117"},"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466617-l.jpg?v=1549043117","width":426}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eThere has never been a more important time to find meaningful and acceptable ways of passing on faith from one generation to the next. Part of this privilege and responsibility lies with grandparents who live authentic Christian lives. They can be the vital link between the gospel and the faith of a younger generation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFaithful Grandparents\u003c\/em\u003e is a visionary call to an older generation to take the initiative with courage and wisdom, humour and prayer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg height=\"324\" width=\"216\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/AnitaCleverlyauthorpicPREFERRED_480x480.jpg?v=1676497069\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnita Cleverly\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eReviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePreach, Spring 2020. Review by Alan Rashleigh\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is more than an element of truth in the adage, ‘You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.’ I was attracted to review this book because I am a grandparent with four grandchildren between the ages of 1 and 13. To be honest, I was expecting either a book which looked at the ideals of grandparenthood, where everything is hunky-dory and love abounds everywhere (a very creditable aim) or what to do (or not to do) to be the perfect grandparent. Being a realist, I wanted something between those two extremes, that was useful and practical.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book looks at relationships between grandparents, children and grandchildren – warts and all. There is seriousness: for example, the acrimonious breakdown of a marriage and grandchildren denied contact with grandparents, contrasting with the grandmother whose favourite activity was to camp in the attic with her grandchildren under a blue sheet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is humour: the mere thought of the author playing on a trampoline with her grandchildren who ‘shrieked with delight, deliberately throwing me off balance as I hurtled around.’ This is an image which should remind all grandparents of the need to recognise their physical abilities are more restricted than those of their grandchildren!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book draws attention to the responsibility of grandparents to pass on Christian values and ethics, to live Christian lives and to impart the Gospel message to their grandchildren, to be a constant in a world of disbelief. As parents are often working full time, this gives a fantastic opportunity to influence the lives of children for the good.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a well-researched, well-written book, full of wisdom, practical advice and helpful hints, balanced with biblical references and relevant quotes from people such as CS Lewis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Timothy Keller and many others including Jo Swinney.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany may consider the book a bit of a hotch-potch or disjointed, but that is part of its charm, and a way to encourage readers to read more which they reflect on their own relationships with their grandchildren. Well worth reading!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Alan Rashleigh\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChurch Times 27.09.19. Review by Dennis Richards \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis entertaining and challenging volume is written by a Christian grandparent for other grandparents. Its purpose is clearly defined. It is primarily intended to help grandparents who wish to hand on the baton of faith to a younger generation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is unashamedly biblical, and the writer freely acknowledges her Evangelical roots. But do not be misled. Anita Cleverly has lived a rich and interesting life. There is an avowedly ecumenical flavour to her life’s history, and one is left very much with the impression that her story still has chapters to be written.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf her 35 years in church ministry, in various guises, ten of them were spent in inner-city Paris, and it shows. She has clearly come under the influence of some great Catholic theologians, and speaks warmly of her Jesuit friends in Oxford. As she says, ‘My own church history has taken me through “Label Land”.’ She finds herself increasingly exploring the contemplative tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost important in a volume of this nature, the author is very aware of the speed of change in contemporary culture. The internet has changed everything. Individualism and relativism are today fundamental to the teenagers’ creed. She is well aware that grandparents today may face the prospect of a blended family, or a gay marriage and transgender discussion. She is very sure that ‘unconditional love’ defines what should be ‘on the tin’ for Christian grandparents.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven the vocabulary has changed, as I know to my cost. Writing this review as a grandfather of six, I find myself being mocked, lost in bewilderment, and, at times, genuinely scared that I’ve totally lost the plot. Pathetically trying to join in a game of football, I am exhorted to ‘Stop flexing, Grandad!’ Far from being worried about my physical welfare, they are actually telling me to stop showing off. Blank incomprehension on my part. Hilarity all round on theirs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe author’s predicament was even worse. She climbed on the grandchildren’s trampoline. Bad mistake. All of which tells you that there is plenty to make you smile in her account of her own experiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBest of all, it is a volume that makes you think. What kind of grandparent am I? Formal? Fun-seeker? Surrogate parent? Reservoir of family wisdom? Distant? It is also reassuring. Some things haven’t changed. The definitions for example. Grandparent: so easy to operate, even a child can do it. Grandparent: breaks most of the rules and loves every second of it. I can live with that. Thanks Anita.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDennis Richards is a former head of St Aidan’s C of E High School, Harrogate, North Yorkshire.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eevangelicals now October 2019. Review by Val Archer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGiven the seismic cultural, moral, sexual and social upheaval in Britain today, the author’s call to the older generation of Christians to model courage, wisdom, faith and prayer is both timely and vital – not least in passing on the ‘faith once delivered’ to children generally – and one’s grandchildren especially. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnita Cleverly has a lifetime of experience as a Christian mother and grandmother and in family ministry, which she ransacks to great effect. She writes with a light touch, interweaving gospel truths and scriptural wisdom with a sharp understanding of the complex challenges facing Christian parents today. All in all it makes for both an enjoyable and stimulating read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the opening insightful chapter on ‘21\u003csup\u003est\u003c\/sup\u003e Century Grandparents’, she quotes \u003cem\u003eThe Daily Telegraph \u003c\/em\u003ecolumnist Allison Pearson, who has discovered that ‘two thirds of the nation’s grandparents – that’s 5 million people – now provide regular childcare for their grandchildren’. The contact time with grandchildren in Britain today is at a very different level than was generally the case with previous generations. After the parent-child relationship, grandparents usually provide the second most important emotional influence in a child’s life. The opportunity and need is immense. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the 11 chapters which follow, the whole landscape of grandparenting is explored and practical biblical wisdom and advice brought to bear on a whole raft of issues – the art of listening, storytelling the family history, seeking to reach the heart of the child with the gospel, the vital place and role of the church and church family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo chapters, one ‘A Grandparent’s Creed’ and the other ‘A Grandparent’s Prayers’, are outstanding and worth buying the book for. Taking the Apostles’ Creed and reflecting and meditating on each phrase in the context of the challenges facing children today in our oft-pernicious culture, is so helpful. Praying for and with grandchildren takes the focus to that which any Christian parent of grandparent wants for their offspring – that they grow to love and serve Christ all their days.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAddressing some of the cultural, social and sexual changes in a chapter entitled ‘Shifting Tectonic Plates’ brings a rootedness and contemporary awareness that is much needed in Christian thinking today. Pointing out that it is not all ‘gloom and doom’, that many of the changes in society have been for the good, is a welcome corrective that recognises ‘common grace’ has not yet left town! At the same time the author goes on to provide a thoughtful critique of the blatantly anti-God agenda that is so prevalent. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe light Charismatic influences and context from which the author writes mean that on occasion there are one or two things those in other traditions might not always go along with, or perhaps express in different ways. However, to major on these would be to lose the great benefit and blessing this delightful book provides.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Val Archer: conference speaker, mother of four and grandmother of seven. Member of both The King’s Church Chessington and The Globe Church London.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Reader, Autumn 2019. Review by Howard Rowe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is for Christian grandparents. Anita Cleverly writes of her own journey and approach as a grandparent, and covers the responsibilities of the grandparent’s role in the twenty-first century, together with the opportunities we have, and the limitations we are subject to. The chapters on sensitive listening, the wonder of the created world, Bible stories and children’s questions are well covered. There is an encouraging view of the church today, and valuable advice regarding the changing landscape of culture and today’s technology. The chapter I enjoyed most was the one on praying for and with our grandchildren. Anita Cleverly has written a book of authentic Christian wisdom and grace, sprinkled with real comments from real people, and pieces of practical advice, for ourselves as well as for our families. She writes with feeling about the difficulties of being a faithful grandparent as well as the joys. I commend it to you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Howard Rowe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e___________________________________________\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReform, May 2019. Review by Ruth Allen\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is a gem. I read it quickly, because it is hard to put down, and I shall immediately read it again more slowly, to savour the wisdom that’s on every page. The title tells you what it’s about: encouragement for grandparents to share their faith with their grandchildren.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnita Cleverly is an experienced spiritual director and bereavement counsellor. Her sensitivity undergirds the wise words in every chapter. Never does she forget that we have our grandchildren on loan, and that discipline and criticism, however gently applied, are not our lot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first two chapters of the book survey what grandparenting really is, in our time and culture, recognising the different situations that many grandparents find themselves in. Many grandparents are left with very limited opportunities to build the relationship which permit the sharing of faith stories. There are useful suggestions for grandparents who have little contact with their grandchildren to make the most of the possibilities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeveral chapters help us to identify the essentials of our own faith, and ways in which they could be put over. One uses the Apostles’ Creed to help us focus. There are chapters on the Church and on the problems facing people of faith in an increasingly secular world, as well as one on the contentious issues facing Christians.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSubjects like human sexuality are dealt with gently and sensitively. We are encouraged never to pontificate but to accept our grandchildren’s choices with grace and love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is full apposite quotations from the bible and other Christian writers. It is very easy to read, the writer having the wonderful gift of being able to speak apparently straight to the individual reader. There are anecdotes galore, both funny and sad.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am genuinely looking forward to reading this a second time, and wholeheartedly commend it to any grandparent. Your grandchildren will be much blessed through it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eRuth Allen is \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003ea retired United Reformed minister based in Ilkeston, Derbyshire\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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Faithful Grandparents: Hope and love through the generations
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{"id":2439822934116,"title":"Family Jesus Time: Going on the faith adventure","handle":"family-jesus-time-going-on-the-faith-adventure","description":"\u003cp\u003eLove God... Love your neighbour... Love yourself. The gospel is good news for messy people, young and old, and this minibook is designed for those who are ready to make it their own. Written in an interactive, user-friendly and jargon-free style, it helps individuals and families alike to take the next steps in their Christian journey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eReviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Kathy Bland, Inter-generational Church Enabler, Diocese of Hereford\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Family Jesus Time book is full of ideas about what it might mean to follow Jesus and is written in a really fun and accessible way. As well as using it with my family, I have found the ideas in it are transferable and proved very useful for our inter-generational confirmation group. I especially love the 'disciples are a mixed bunch' pages - hooray for Dorcas, Joanna, Lois and others being included so that half the disciples are women! The 'how to apply the story of the Good Samaritan' section is fantastic - we had lots of discussion about the difficulties of replacing the toilet roll holder versus washing an elephant!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Messy Mini Book series hide a richness of resources between their covers - they may be small but they are full of treasures!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Kathy Bland\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:25:14+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:25:15+00:00","vendor":"Lucy Moore","type":"Paperback","tags":["May-18","Messy Church books","Messy mini books"],"price":199,"price_min":199,"price_max":199,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21770127081572,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857466754","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Family Jesus Time: Going on the faith adventure - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":199,"weight":35,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857466754","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466754-l.jpg?v=1549043120"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466754-l.jpg?v=1549043120","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238881493131,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":650,"width":650,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466754-l.jpg?v=1549043120"},"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466754-l.jpg?v=1549043120","width":650}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eLove God... Love your neighbour... Love yourself. The gospel is good news for messy people, young and old, and this minibook is designed for those who are ready to make it their own. Written in an interactive, user-friendly and jargon-free style, it helps individuals and families alike to take the next steps in their Christian journey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eReviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Kathy Bland, Inter-generational Church Enabler, Diocese of Hereford\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Family Jesus Time book is full of ideas about what it might mean to follow Jesus and is written in a really fun and accessible way. As well as using it with my family, I have found the ideas in it are transferable and proved very useful for our inter-generational confirmation group. I especially love the 'disciples are a mixed bunch' pages - hooray for Dorcas, Joanna, Lois and others being included so that half the disciples are women! The 'how to apply the story of the Good Samaritan' section is fantastic - we had lots of discussion about the difficulties of replacing the toilet roll holder versus washing an elephant!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Messy Mini Book series hide a richness of resources between their covers - they may be small but they are full of treasures!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Kathy Bland\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e"}
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Family Jesus Time: Going on the faith adventure
£1.99
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{"id":2439822409828,"title":"Family Prayer Time: On the journey together","handle":"family-prayer-time-on-the-journey-together","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis colourful, quirky and fun addition to our Messy minibooks series is designed to encourage and guide families into a habit of prayer, individually and together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten in an interactive, user-friendly and jargon-free style, it offers simple prayers and addresses key questions such as 'Why should I pray?', 'Where should I pray?', 'How do I pray?' and 'What do I pray?'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/LucyMoore_480x480.jpg?v=1676494651\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/LucyMoore_480x480.jpg?v=1676494651\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\nLucy Moore is the founder of Messy Church. She promotes Messy Church nationally and internationally through training and speaking events, and is the author of a number of books for BRF.\n\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eBaptist Times online, 19.12.12 Review by Ed Jones\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith over 30 pages crammed full of puzzles, games, question and facts that will encourage and inspire families together in prayer, as with the other Messy Minibooks, the latest edition to the series, without doubt this is a little book that packs a large punch! \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe difference that Messy Church has made over the last decade is something hard to pin down or quantify. That said the whole idea of 'being church for families involving fun' is so simple, yet immensely powerful and has been a catalyst for many where the Christian faith is concerned. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eFamily Prayer Time\u003c\/em\u003e, there are over 30 pages crammed full of puzzles, games, question and facts that will encourage and inspire families together in prayer. Engaging and interactive in its style, the booklet is written in a format that means although designed to be used within and as a family, it could easily be worked through by a child on their own. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFramed through the invitation to go on a treasure, the booklet is split into eight sections. As each one is worked through, truths about prayer are unpacked and expounded upon in a variety of fun ways. Questions such as why and where should I pray, how and what do I pray, are creatively explored. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt first glance due to the size of the booklet my thought was every member of a family would need one, which at GBP2.50 per copy, could mean it less accessible to some rather than others just down to the cost. Having worked through it though, I like the idea of gathering round and pouring over it together, taking turns to read and working through the activities together. A compilation in the future of the various Messy Minibooks would be a great resource. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis all said, as someone in my 30s I'm aware I'll have a particular view on the booklets appearance, their use and potential impact. Therefore on sharing it with some children, they commented thus: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e'It looks very fun for all of the family and I really like all the colours and pictures.' (6 year old) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'I think it would be good for all ages. The way it is put together, makes it interesting and fun. The treasure hunt idea is a really good beginning to the book, it draws you.' (10 year old)\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eEd Jones in minister of Battle Baptist Church\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e_____________________________________________________\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:25:12+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:25:14+00:00","vendor":"Lucy Moore","type":"Paperback","tags":["Messy Church books","Messy mini books","Sep-18"],"price":250,"price_min":250,"price_max":250,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21770116202596,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857467157","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":7437008142436,"product_id":2439822409828,"position":1,"created_at":"2019-01-18T15:25:14+00:00","updated_at":"2019-02-01T17:45:21+00:00","alt":null,"width":650,"height":650,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857467157-l.jpg?v=1549043121","variant_ids":[21770116202596]},"available":true,"name":"Family Prayer Time: On the journey together - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":250,"weight":32,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857467157","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":3238881460363,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":650,"width":650,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857467157-l.jpg?v=1549043121"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857467157-l.jpg?v=1549043121"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857467157-l.jpg?v=1549043121","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238881460363,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":650,"width":650,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857467157-l.jpg?v=1549043121"},"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857467157-l.jpg?v=1549043121","width":650}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eThis colourful, quirky and fun addition to our Messy minibooks series is designed to encourage and guide families into a habit of prayer, individually and together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten in an interactive, user-friendly and jargon-free style, it offers simple prayers and addresses key questions such as 'Why should I pray?', 'Where should I pray?', 'How do I pray?' and 'What do I pray?'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/LucyMoore_480x480.jpg?v=1676494651\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/LucyMoore_480x480.jpg?v=1676494651\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\nLucy Moore is the founder of Messy Church. She promotes Messy Church nationally and internationally through training and speaking events, and is the author of a number of books for BRF.\n\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eBaptist Times online, 19.12.12 Review by Ed Jones\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith over 30 pages crammed full of puzzles, games, question and facts that will encourage and inspire families together in prayer, as with the other Messy Minibooks, the latest edition to the series, without doubt this is a little book that packs a large punch! \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe difference that Messy Church has made over the last decade is something hard to pin down or quantify. That said the whole idea of 'being church for families involving fun' is so simple, yet immensely powerful and has been a catalyst for many where the Christian faith is concerned. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eFamily Prayer Time\u003c\/em\u003e, there are over 30 pages crammed full of puzzles, games, question and facts that will encourage and inspire families together in prayer. Engaging and interactive in its style, the booklet is written in a format that means although designed to be used within and as a family, it could easily be worked through by a child on their own. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFramed through the invitation to go on a treasure, the booklet is split into eight sections. As each one is worked through, truths about prayer are unpacked and expounded upon in a variety of fun ways. Questions such as why and where should I pray, how and what do I pray, are creatively explored. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt first glance due to the size of the booklet my thought was every member of a family would need one, which at GBP2.50 per copy, could mean it less accessible to some rather than others just down to the cost. Having worked through it though, I like the idea of gathering round and pouring over it together, taking turns to read and working through the activities together. A compilation in the future of the various Messy Minibooks would be a great resource. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis all said, as someone in my 30s I'm aware I'll have a particular view on the booklets appearance, their use and potential impact. Therefore on sharing it with some children, they commented thus: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e'It looks very fun for all of the family and I really like all the colours and pictures.' (6 year old) \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'I think it would be good for all ages. The way it is put together, makes it interesting and fun. The treasure hunt idea is a really good beginning to the book, it draws you.' (10 year old)\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eEd Jones in minister of Battle Baptist Church\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e_____________________________________________________\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e"}
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Family Prayer Time: On the journey together
£2.50
This colourful, quirky and fun addition to our Messy minibooks series is designed to encourage and guide families into a...
{"id":2439799963748,"title":"Family Question Time: Check out the adventure!","handle":"family-question-time-check-out-the-adventure","description":"\u003cp\u003eBased on the idea of the gospel being good news for messy people, young and old, Family Question Time is designed to help families talk about the basics of the Christian faith. Written in an interactive, user-friendly and jargon-free style, this minibook offers information alongside encouragement to ask big questions, and contains suggestions about how to express a commitment to God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/LucyMoore_480x480.jpg?v=1676494651\" width=\"241\" height=\"241\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLucy Moore is the founder of Messy Church, a rapidly-growing ministry that is now in over 20 countries worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe is responsible for developing the work of Messy Church nationally and internationally - writing, speaking, reflecting and developing Messy projects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore working full-time with Messy Church, Lucy was a member of BRF's Barnabas children's ministry team, offering training for those wanting to bring the Bible to life for children in churches and schools across the UK, and using drama and storytelling to explore the Bible with children herself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer books include titles in the Messy Church series, as well as AllAge Worship, Colourful Creation, Bethlehem Carols Unpacked, The Lord's Prayer Unplugged and The Gospels Unplugged. She also presents Messy Church: the DVD. A secondary-school teacher by training, she enjoys acting, walking Minnie the dog, marvelling at the alien world of her two teenage children and guiltily watching unimproving television programmes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe is a Lay Canon of Portsmouth Cathedral.\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:23:49+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:23:50+00:00","vendor":"Lucy Moore","type":"Paperback","tags":["Messy Church books","Messy mini books","Sep-17"],"price":250,"price_min":250,"price_max":250,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769763717220,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857466273","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Family Question Time: Check out the adventure! - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":250,"weight":31,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857466273","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466273-l.jpg?v=1549043135"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466273-l.jpg?v=1549043135","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238879887499,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":650,"width":650,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466273-l.jpg?v=1549043135"},"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466273-l.jpg?v=1549043135","width":650}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eBased on the idea of the gospel being good news for messy people, young and old, Family Question Time is designed to help families talk about the basics of the Christian faith. Written in an interactive, user-friendly and jargon-free style, this minibook offers information alongside encouragement to ask big questions, and contains suggestions about how to express a commitment to God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/LucyMoore_480x480.jpg?v=1676494651\" width=\"241\" height=\"241\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLucy Moore is the founder of Messy Church, a rapidly-growing ministry that is now in over 20 countries worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe is responsible for developing the work of Messy Church nationally and internationally - writing, speaking, reflecting and developing Messy projects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore working full-time with Messy Church, Lucy was a member of BRF's Barnabas children's ministry team, offering training for those wanting to bring the Bible to life for children in churches and schools across the UK, and using drama and storytelling to explore the Bible with children herself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer books include titles in the Messy Church series, as well as AllAge Worship, Colourful Creation, Bethlehem Carols Unpacked, The Lord's Prayer Unplugged and The Gospels Unplugged. She also presents Messy Church: the DVD. A secondary-school teacher by training, she enjoys acting, walking Minnie the dog, marvelling at the alien world of her two teenage children and guiltily watching unimproving television programmes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe is a Lay Canon of Portsmouth Cathedral.\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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Family Question Time: Check out the adventure!
£2.50
Based on the idea of the gospel being good news for messy people, young and old, Family Question Time is...
{"id":2855024066660,"title":"Few Children Great Opportunities: 12 stand-alone sessions for mixed-age church-based groups","handle":"few-children-great-opportunities-12-stand-alone-sessions-for-mixed-age-church-based-groups","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFew Children, Great Opportunities\u003c\/em\u003e contains 12 ready-to-use thematic sessions exploring the character of God through the model we see in Jesus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe programme is ideal for church-based children's work where there are small numbers of children and an age range from 3 to 11 years. Because a small number of children with a mixed age range also defines many families, the material can be adapted for home use by families who want to spend time growing in faith together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sessions are non-sequential and can be used in any order whilst still building on each other. The material seeks to engage head, heart and hands by giving several ways to tell a Bible story using different learning styles; offering a variety of activities that help children to engage with the story; and including original songs, rhymes and chants as well as non-musical ways to worship God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe format has the flexibility to be used in church-based groups lasting between 20 and 60 minutes or within a midweek club. Each session is structured in the same way and includes a story book activity to provide continuity, cohesion and recall, and a family follow-up sheet with ideas to encourage families to think about each characteristic at home together during the week.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 12 characters of God explored in the programme include: love; faithfulness; patience; power; goodness; self-control; peace; trustworthiness; kindness; truthful; gentleness and joy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIdeal for small church-based children's groups.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eContents\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntroduction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGetting the best out of the material\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is love\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: We can spread Jesus' love\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is faithful\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: We can keep faithful to God's word\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is patient\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: Learning to be patient, like Jesus\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is powerful\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: Discovering God's power at work in u\u003c\/em\u003es\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is good\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: Showing God's goodness to those who are unwell\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is self-controlled\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: Managing our lives in God's best ways\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is peace\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: Being a peacemaker, like Jesus\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is trustworthy\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: Trusting God with everything in life\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is kind\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: We can show God's kindness to those in need\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is truth\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: Living a truthful life with God\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is gentle\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: Showing God's gentleness\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is joyful\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: Sharing God's joy\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eFrom the Introduction\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEach session is themed, and it doesn't matter in which order the sessions are used. In your initial preparation you may wish to discuss with your church leader the preaching programme for the coming few months and see if any of the sessions are more appropriate for particular weeks. Once prepared, however, a facilitator can hold a session over and use it at any later date if no children turn up.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEach session is flexible and can be easily adapted to the time available, whether 20 minutes or over an hour. If you only have a short session time, the material can be shaped into two or more sessions so that you are not wasting material.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEmphasis is given to forming and growing a relationship with God and the people around us, and learning to serve God and each other.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMuch of the preparation for the session by the facilitator will consist of reading the Bible references, thinking through their own responses and becoming familiar with the options and ideas suggested.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe activities suggested, together with various options, can be customised to the numbers and ages of the group, even adapting at the point of delivery. It may sometimes happen that all the items prepared do not get used on a particular day. This shouldn't be regarded as a waste of time or effort, as these items can often be used or adapted on another occasion, and will save preparation time later on.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEach session includes ideas for home follow-up that can be suggested to parents, but the whole session can also be adapted to be used at home by families who want to set aside a time to connect with God and each other. See the section headed 'Using the material at home'.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePositive attention is given to developing an awareness of the mystery and wonder of God and finding meaningful ways together to celebrate him and express love for him.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEveryone is encouraged to discover God's character through the actions or teaching of Jesus, find out how people have responded to God in the past (both people in the Bible and in more recent history), discover people and organisations today who are responding to God through love and action and consider their own response.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is a treasure trove for all who struggle to provide meaningful times for small and fluctuating groups.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Catherine Kite, Faith Support Officer, Mothers' Union\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMinistry Today - Summer 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is simply outstanding. It looks thin for the price, but it is packed full. Strictly speaking, this is a Sunday School book, but there is much that can be very easily adapted for the All Age Context.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe premise of this book is a situation all too familiar in many churches: a single Sunday School class with few members across a wide age-range, several of whom are not present every week. It's difficult to maintain continuity and dispiriting. This book contains 12 stand-alone sessions, which are designed so they can effectively be split into two or four sessions each, depending on the length of time available on the Sunday. In theory, you could have a year's worth of sessions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat's great about this book is that the authors create an age-appropriate 'liturgical' routine which includes opening and adding to special group scrapbook each week. So there's a skilfully developed combination of the familiar and the new. This gives continuity whether or not children have missed a week. In the All Age context, this could be adapted to a monthly service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso brilliant is that they offer explicit instructions, telling you what to say and teaching you how to listen. Of course, this can be adapted. You don't have to follow it precisely, but the effect is like a very good recipe book. You can tell these recipes will work, but they can also mined for ideas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach chapter is headed with the theme, passage, Bible verse, linked stories from news and culture and theme. The sessions are clearly and helpfully divided into 'Way in', 'learn from Jesus', 'Tell... Consider... Explore... ... the Story', 'Praise', 'Explore other people's stories', 'Respond', 'Review', 'Way out', 'Follow up'. In fact, if you only took a few of these headings and regularly framed All Age Worship according to them, the book would have been money very well spent. 5\/5.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRichard Dormandy\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom Country Way - June to September 2013\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany rural churches struggle to run meaningful children's groups, but resources are now becoming available that give real help - with material that is suitable for small numbers, a wide age-range and limited resources (especially in terms of leaders); \u003cem\u003eFew Children, Great Opportunities\u003c\/em\u003e is one of these.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sessions are designed for church-based groups, but are equally suited to those that meet in homes or even for individual families. Each is based around one facet of God's character (e.g. peace, truth, love) and how this is relevant for a child's daily life. Although there are connections between the different sessions, they can be used in any order. All follow a similar pattern, and have at their core a short passage of Scripture around which the rest of the activities revolve. They include the careful use of stories and linked activities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVery helpful guidelines are provided at the start on how to make the best use of the material, and the material is designed flexibly so that each session can be adapted to cover more than one week. The additional resources required are few and relatively simple, but will require access to the internet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile not rural in content, this is another useful tool for small rural churches in their ministry to children.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Simon Martin\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book was advertised in the January 2013 newsletter. It contains 12 stand-alone sessions for mixed age children's groups, each exploring a characteristic of God. It is published by Bible Reading Fellowship and costs 8.99. I began reading the opening pages of this book with some apprehension as some books seem to expect more time, or artistic ability, than I can offer. However I was encouraged by the tone and attitude towards children that came from the pages. There is a gentleness and yet an undercurrent of excitement about exploring who is God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI used the first session on a Sunday when I ended up with seven children ranging from a 3-year old with limited English to an articulate girl of 13, including a couple of very shy children and a noisy boy. As preparation I had already read the session and picked out what I would do in the 30 mins available. All of the resources needed I already had either at home or at church. Before the group started I quickly made up an example of the simple craft. It was accessible to all ages, though some needed more support but some of the older children were happy to help. The oldest children were up for joining in the fun and the youngest followed their lead.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey all seemed to get a sense of wonder from placing a drop of diluted food colouring onto paper towel and seeing how far it spread, like God's love spreading out. The small numbers enabled us to do this one at a time which allowed anticipation and each child to have their moment of full attention. They enjoy trying to fit under a duvet cover to represent being surrounded by God's love. The cups with hearts on were ideal for our worship time. Overall I found the material interactive and inclusive with some different ways of conveying God's love and our connection to it. I would need to work on ways to ensure the oldest ones have opportunities to learn and stretch themselves. As it stands I would say that 11 is really the upper age limit for this material. However by using a couple of leaders it would be simple to have deeper discussion with older ones as part of it. I was certainly grateful for the material which was ideal for a broad range of children, both in terms of age and temperament.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Linda Hallett, Uckfield URC\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2019-02-20T16:10:39+00:00","created_at":"2019-02-20T16:11:10+00:00","vendor":"Sue Price and Ruth Alliston","type":"Paperback","tags":["Children and family ministry","PDF"],"price":899,"price_min":899,"price_max":899,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":24431624880228,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781841018805","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":8945786290276,"product_id":2855024066660,"position":2,"created_at":"2019-02-20T16:11:23+00:00","updated_at":"2020-05-20T17:16:09+01:00","alt":null,"width":476,"height":676,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781841018805-l.jpg?v=1589991369","variant_ids":[24431624880228]},"available":false,"name":"Few Children Great Opportunities: 12 stand-alone sessions for mixed-age church-based groups - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":899,"weight":241,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781841018805","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":3259468480651,"position":2,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.704,"height":676,"width":476,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781841018805-l.jpg?v=1589991369"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":24431653912676,"title":"PDF Download","option1":"PDF Download","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"down8805","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":8945836261476,"product_id":2855024066660,"position":1,"created_at":"2019-02-20T16:13:38+00:00","updated_at":"2020-05-20T17:16:09+01:00","alt":null,"width":476,"height":676,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/DOWNLOAD8805.jpg?v=1589991369","variant_ids":[24431653912676]},"available":true,"name":"Few Children Great Opportunities: 12 stand-alone sessions for mixed-age church-based groups - PDF Download","public_title":"PDF Download","options":["PDF Download"],"price":899,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"down8805","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":3259469299851,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.704,"height":676,"width":476,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/DOWNLOAD8805.jpg?v=1589991369"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/DOWNLOAD8805.jpg?v=1589991369","\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781841018805-l.jpg?v=1589991369"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/DOWNLOAD8805.jpg?v=1589991369","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3259469299851,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.704,"height":676,"width":476,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/DOWNLOAD8805.jpg?v=1589991369"},"aspect_ratio":0.704,"height":676,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/DOWNLOAD8805.jpg?v=1589991369","width":476},{"alt":null,"id":3259468480651,"position":2,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.704,"height":676,"width":476,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781841018805-l.jpg?v=1589991369"},"aspect_ratio":0.704,"height":676,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781841018805-l.jpg?v=1589991369","width":476}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFew Children, Great Opportunities\u003c\/em\u003e contains 12 ready-to-use thematic sessions exploring the character of God through the model we see in Jesus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe programme is ideal for church-based children's work where there are small numbers of children and an age range from 3 to 11 years. Because a small number of children with a mixed age range also defines many families, the material can be adapted for home use by families who want to spend time growing in faith together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sessions are non-sequential and can be used in any order whilst still building on each other. The material seeks to engage head, heart and hands by giving several ways to tell a Bible story using different learning styles; offering a variety of activities that help children to engage with the story; and including original songs, rhymes and chants as well as non-musical ways to worship God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe format has the flexibility to be used in church-based groups lasting between 20 and 60 minutes or within a midweek club. Each session is structured in the same way and includes a story book activity to provide continuity, cohesion and recall, and a family follow-up sheet with ideas to encourage families to think about each characteristic at home together during the week.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 12 characters of God explored in the programme include: love; faithfulness; patience; power; goodness; self-control; peace; trustworthiness; kindness; truthful; gentleness and joy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIdeal for small church-based children's groups.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eContents\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntroduction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGetting the best out of the material\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is love\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: We can spread Jesus' love\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is faithful\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: We can keep faithful to God's word\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is patient\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: Learning to be patient, like Jesus\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is powerful\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: Discovering God's power at work in u\u003c\/em\u003es\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is good\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: Showing God's goodness to those who are unwell\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is self-controlled\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: Managing our lives in God's best ways\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is peace\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: Being a peacemaker, like Jesus\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is trustworthy\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: Trusting God with everything in life\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is kind\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: We can show God's kindness to those in need\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is truth\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: Living a truthful life with God\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is gentle\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: Showing God's gentleness\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod is joyful\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTheme: Sharing God's joy\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eFrom the Introduction\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEach session is themed, and it doesn't matter in which order the sessions are used. In your initial preparation you may wish to discuss with your church leader the preaching programme for the coming few months and see if any of the sessions are more appropriate for particular weeks. Once prepared, however, a facilitator can hold a session over and use it at any later date if no children turn up.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEach session is flexible and can be easily adapted to the time available, whether 20 minutes or over an hour. If you only have a short session time, the material can be shaped into two or more sessions so that you are not wasting material.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEmphasis is given to forming and growing a relationship with God and the people around us, and learning to serve God and each other.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMuch of the preparation for the session by the facilitator will consist of reading the Bible references, thinking through their own responses and becoming familiar with the options and ideas suggested.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe activities suggested, together with various options, can be customised to the numbers and ages of the group, even adapting at the point of delivery. It may sometimes happen that all the items prepared do not get used on a particular day. This shouldn't be regarded as a waste of time or effort, as these items can often be used or adapted on another occasion, and will save preparation time later on.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEach session includes ideas for home follow-up that can be suggested to parents, but the whole session can also be adapted to be used at home by families who want to set aside a time to connect with God and each other. See the section headed 'Using the material at home'.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePositive attention is given to developing an awareness of the mystery and wonder of God and finding meaningful ways together to celebrate him and express love for him.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEveryone is encouraged to discover God's character through the actions or teaching of Jesus, find out how people have responded to God in the past (both people in the Bible and in more recent history), discover people and organisations today who are responding to God through love and action and consider their own response.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is a treasure trove for all who struggle to provide meaningful times for small and fluctuating groups.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Catherine Kite, Faith Support Officer, Mothers' Union\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMinistry Today - Summer 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is simply outstanding. It looks thin for the price, but it is packed full. Strictly speaking, this is a Sunday School book, but there is much that can be very easily adapted for the All Age Context.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe premise of this book is a situation all too familiar in many churches: a single Sunday School class with few members across a wide age-range, several of whom are not present every week. It's difficult to maintain continuity and dispiriting. This book contains 12 stand-alone sessions, which are designed so they can effectively be split into two or four sessions each, depending on the length of time available on the Sunday. In theory, you could have a year's worth of sessions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat's great about this book is that the authors create an age-appropriate 'liturgical' routine which includes opening and adding to special group scrapbook each week. So there's a skilfully developed combination of the familiar and the new. This gives continuity whether or not children have missed a week. In the All Age context, this could be adapted to a monthly service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso brilliant is that they offer explicit instructions, telling you what to say and teaching you how to listen. Of course, this can be adapted. You don't have to follow it precisely, but the effect is like a very good recipe book. You can tell these recipes will work, but they can also mined for ideas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach chapter is headed with the theme, passage, Bible verse, linked stories from news and culture and theme. The sessions are clearly and helpfully divided into 'Way in', 'learn from Jesus', 'Tell... Consider... Explore... ... the Story', 'Praise', 'Explore other people's stories', 'Respond', 'Review', 'Way out', 'Follow up'. In fact, if you only took a few of these headings and regularly framed All Age Worship according to them, the book would have been money very well spent. 5\/5.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRichard Dormandy\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom Country Way - June to September 2013\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany rural churches struggle to run meaningful children's groups, but resources are now becoming available that give real help - with material that is suitable for small numbers, a wide age-range and limited resources (especially in terms of leaders); \u003cem\u003eFew Children, Great Opportunities\u003c\/em\u003e is one of these.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sessions are designed for church-based groups, but are equally suited to those that meet in homes or even for individual families. Each is based around one facet of God's character (e.g. peace, truth, love) and how this is relevant for a child's daily life. Although there are connections between the different sessions, they can be used in any order. All follow a similar pattern, and have at their core a short passage of Scripture around which the rest of the activities revolve. They include the careful use of stories and linked activities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVery helpful guidelines are provided at the start on how to make the best use of the material, and the material is designed flexibly so that each session can be adapted to cover more than one week. The additional resources required are few and relatively simple, but will require access to the internet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile not rural in content, this is another useful tool for small rural churches in their ministry to children.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Simon Martin\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book was advertised in the January 2013 newsletter. It contains 12 stand-alone sessions for mixed age children's groups, each exploring a characteristic of God. It is published by Bible Reading Fellowship and costs 8.99. I began reading the opening pages of this book with some apprehension as some books seem to expect more time, or artistic ability, than I can offer. However I was encouraged by the tone and attitude towards children that came from the pages. There is a gentleness and yet an undercurrent of excitement about exploring who is God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI used the first session on a Sunday when I ended up with seven children ranging from a 3-year old with limited English to an articulate girl of 13, including a couple of very shy children and a noisy boy. As preparation I had already read the session and picked out what I would do in the 30 mins available. All of the resources needed I already had either at home or at church. Before the group started I quickly made up an example of the simple craft. It was accessible to all ages, though some needed more support but some of the older children were happy to help. The oldest children were up for joining in the fun and the youngest followed their lead.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey all seemed to get a sense of wonder from placing a drop of diluted food colouring onto paper towel and seeing how far it spread, like God's love spreading out. The small numbers enabled us to do this one at a time which allowed anticipation and each child to have their moment of full attention. They enjoy trying to fit under a duvet cover to represent being surrounded by God's love. The cups with hearts on were ideal for our worship time. Overall I found the material interactive and inclusive with some different ways of conveying God's love and our connection to it. I would need to work on ways to ensure the oldest ones have opportunities to learn and stretch themselves. As it stands I would say that 11 is really the upper age limit for this material. However by using a couple of leaders it would be simple to have deeper discussion with older ones as part of it. I was certainly grateful for the material which was ideal for a broad range of children, both in terms of age and temperament.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Linda Hallett, Uckfield URC\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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Few Children Great Opportunities: 12 stand-alone sessions for mixed-age church-based groups
£8.99
Few Children, Great Opportunities contains 12 ready-to-use thematic sessions exploring the character of God through the model we see in...
{"id":2439735869540,"title":"Fill the Gap!: 120 instant Bible games for Sunday schools and midweek groups","handle":"fill-the-gap-120-instant-bible-games-for-sunday-schools-and-midweek-groups","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFill the Gap!\u003c\/strong\u003e contains 120 easy-to-play Bible-based games with little or no preparation needed - perfect for picking straight off the shelf!\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe ideas are designed to help local churches fill up those awkward gaps of time in Sunday schools, midweek clubs, holiday clubs, after school clubs and children's camps.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe games are divided equally across the Old Testament and the New Testament and offer a fun-filled way to reinforce a teaching point or help children unfamiliar with Bible stories. There are two games for each story, one aimed at 4-7s and the other at 7-11s, but many of the games can be modified slightly to make them appropriate for older or younger children to take part.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eMost of the games are suitable for both smaller and larger groups of children and many can be easily adapted to fit different Bible stories, allowing favourite games to be used again with a different emphasis.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003ch3\u003eFrom the Introduction:\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the games\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFill the Gap! covers 60 well-known Bible stories and suggests two games for each story, one aimed at younger children aged 4-7 and the other at older children aged 8-11 years. Each game is designed to bring a fun element to every Bible story, to help children remember what they have learnt. Many of the games can be easily adapted to fit different Bible stories (see 'Helpful hints').\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout group sizes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMost of the games in this book are suitable for both smaller and larger groups of children. For large groups, it is suggested that more teams are used rather than having large numbers of children in each team. It is hoped that leaders will join in with the games and will make up numbers where necessary. \u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout age bandings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe age bandings given in this book are only suggestions. Most games can be modified slightly to make them appropriate for older or younger children. Where children of mixed ages are playing a game, particular care should be taken of the safety of the younger children; it is suggested that less physical games are used with younger children. For groups with a wide age range, the most suitable game relating to each story is also noted as 'All ages'. In some cases, both games are appropriate for mixed age ranges and are therefore both noted as such.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\nRebecca Parkinson is a trained teacher, experienced youth and children's worker and published author. She taught full time for four years at primary level before becoming a teacher adviser for Lancashire and working alongside Lancashire Business and Enterprise Team to develop curriculum-based Road Show packages for Early Years and KS1 and 2. Rebecca lives in Lancashire and is an active member of her local Methodist Church where she runs the youth and children's work with her husband.\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:19:44+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:19:46+00:00","vendor":"Rebecca Parkinson","type":"Paperback","tags":["Children and family ministry","Oct-12"],"price":1299,"price_min":1299,"price_max":1299,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21768899526756,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857460042","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Fill the Gap!: 120 instant Bible games for Sunday schools and midweek groups - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":1299,"weight":298,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857460042","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857460042-l.jpg?v=1549043183"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857460042-l.jpg?v=1549043183","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238874153099,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":676,"width":443,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857460042-l.jpg?v=1549043183"},"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":676,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857460042-l.jpg?v=1549043183","width":443}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFill the Gap!\u003c\/strong\u003e contains 120 easy-to-play Bible-based games with little or no preparation needed - perfect for picking straight off the shelf!\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe ideas are designed to help local churches fill up those awkward gaps of time in Sunday schools, midweek clubs, holiday clubs, after school clubs and children's camps.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe games are divided equally across the Old Testament and the New Testament and offer a fun-filled way to reinforce a teaching point or help children unfamiliar with Bible stories. There are two games for each story, one aimed at 4-7s and the other at 7-11s, but many of the games can be modified slightly to make them appropriate for older or younger children to take part.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eMost of the games are suitable for both smaller and larger groups of children and many can be easily adapted to fit different Bible stories, allowing favourite games to be used again with a different emphasis.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003ch3\u003eFrom the Introduction:\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the games\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFill the Gap! covers 60 well-known Bible stories and suggests two games for each story, one aimed at younger children aged 4-7 and the other at older children aged 8-11 years. Each game is designed to bring a fun element to every Bible story, to help children remember what they have learnt. Many of the games can be easily adapted to fit different Bible stories (see 'Helpful hints').\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout group sizes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMost of the games in this book are suitable for both smaller and larger groups of children. For large groups, it is suggested that more teams are used rather than having large numbers of children in each team. It is hoped that leaders will join in with the games and will make up numbers where necessary. \u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout age bandings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe age bandings given in this book are only suggestions. Most games can be modified slightly to make them appropriate for older or younger children. Where children of mixed ages are playing a game, particular care should be taken of the safety of the younger children; it is suggested that less physical games are used with younger children. For groups with a wide age range, the most suitable game relating to each story is also noted as 'All ages'. In some cases, both games are appropriate for mixed age ranges and are therefore both noted as such.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\nRebecca Parkinson is a trained teacher, experienced youth and children's worker and published author. She taught full time for four years at primary level before becoming a teacher adviser for Lancashire and working alongside Lancashire Business and Enterprise Team to develop curriculum-based Road Show packages for Early Years and KS1 and 2. Rebecca lives in Lancashire and is an active member of her local Methodist Church where she runs the youth and children's work with her husband.\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n"}
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Fill the Gap!: 120 instant Bible games for Sunday schools and midweek groups
£12.99
Fill the Gap! contains 120 easy-to-play Bible-based games with little or no preparation needed - perfect for picking straight off...
{"id":7693206552767,"title":"Finding Flourishing: Time and pace for your work-life wellbeing","handle":"finding-flourishing-time-and-pace-for-your-work-life-wellbeing","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSay goodbye to exhaustion and overwhelm…\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn our fast-paced world, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFinding Flourishing\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e redefines wellbeing as an accessible daily pursuit, even for the busiest among us. Naomi Aidoo presents a practical and tangible approach to achieving wellbeing, one that doesn’t require adding yet another technique to your busy schedule. Instead, it enhances your day-to-day mentally, emotionally and spiritually.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eExploring wellbeing from a biblical standpoint, Aidoo considers how it might look in our relationships, our work and the rest of our lives, and uses the T.I.M.E. framework to offer manageable steps towards achieving it. This book is an interactive journey with thought-provoking questions, journal prompts, and the opportunity to reflect on daily life from a spiritual perspective, helping you discover a path to everyday wellbeing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGreat for:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWomen in their 20s–50s juggling a myriad of responsibilities and commitments \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBoth Christians and those who are spiritually open\/seeking \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eTime-poor women looking for coaching-style input \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThose who are used to, or keen to explore, a reflective approach and\/or journalling\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAuthor Information\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-left: 20px; float: right;\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/Naomi_Aidoo_Headshot.jpg?v=1711547885\" width=\"131\" height=\"197\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eNaomi Aidoo is a coach and the founder of Time \u0026amp; Pace®, where she helps people with big goals and little time. Through her signature T.I.M.E. framework, Naomi helps clients reframe their mindset, build momentum toward their goals, and thrive. She is also Director of Digital \u0026amp; Wellbeing for education company Innerscope, and has regularly been featured on Premier Christian Radio, Premier Praise and Premier Gospel.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2024-03-27T13:32:23+00:00","created_at":"2024-03-27T13:32:23+00:00","vendor":"Naomi Aidoo","type":"Paperback","tags":["2024","Discipleship","For Women","New Titles","Women"],"price":899,"price_min":899,"price_max":899,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":42973725982911,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800392748","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Finding Flourishing: Time and pace for your work-life wellbeing","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":899,"weight":150,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781800392748","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/FindingFlourishing.jpg?v=1711546346"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/FindingFlourishing.jpg?v=1711546346","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":28439499079871,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":2339,"width":1535,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/FindingFlourishing.jpg?v=1711546346"},"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":2339,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/FindingFlourishing.jpg?v=1711546346","width":1535}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSay goodbye to exhaustion and overwhelm…\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn our fast-paced world, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFinding Flourishing\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e redefines wellbeing as an accessible daily pursuit, even for the busiest among us. Naomi Aidoo presents a practical and tangible approach to achieving wellbeing, one that doesn’t require adding yet another technique to your busy schedule. Instead, it enhances your day-to-day mentally, emotionally and spiritually.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eExploring wellbeing from a biblical standpoint, Aidoo considers how it might look in our relationships, our work and the rest of our lives, and uses the T.I.M.E. framework to offer manageable steps towards achieving it. This book is an interactive journey with thought-provoking questions, journal prompts, and the opportunity to reflect on daily life from a spiritual perspective, helping you discover a path to everyday wellbeing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGreat for:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWomen in their 20s–50s juggling a myriad of responsibilities and commitments \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBoth Christians and those who are spiritually open\/seeking \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eTime-poor women looking for coaching-style input \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThose who are used to, or keen to explore, a reflective approach and\/or journalling\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAuthor Information\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-left: 20px; float: right;\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/Naomi_Aidoo_Headshot.jpg?v=1711547885\" width=\"131\" height=\"197\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eNaomi Aidoo is a coach and the founder of Time \u0026amp; Pace®, where she helps people with big goals and little time. Through her signature T.I.M.E. framework, Naomi helps clients reframe their mindset, build momentum toward their goals, and thrive. She is also Director of Digital \u0026amp; Wellbeing for education company Innerscope, and has regularly been featured on Premier Christian Radio, Premier Praise and Premier Gospel.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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Finding Flourishing: Time and pace for your work-life wellbeing
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{"id":2920550137956,"title":"Finding God in a Culture of Fear: Discovering hope in God’s kingdom","handle":"finding-god-in-a-culture-of-fear-discovering-hope-in-god-s-kingdom","description":"\u003cp\u003eHow can we live a little more hopefully each day?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFear, terrorism, corruption, fake news… it can be easy to become discouraged by the culture around us. Now more than ever, society needs hope in order to survive and flourish.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book takes us beyond comfort zones and easy answers, and towards a deeper understanding and practice of hope.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt offers reflections, stories and practical ways for individuals and groups to find hope in their lives through discovering more about God in their midst.Focusing on God’s intervention in biblical history, God’s presence in contemporary contexts and God’s promised hope for the future, Joanne Cox-Darling encourages us to live more confidently, noticing more of the Spirit in our daily lives, and with more compassion and – ultimately – hope in God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/JoCox-Darling1_480x480.jpg?v=1676497258\" width=\"209\" height=\"261\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoanne Cox-Darling is a Methodist minister, mother, and want-to-be baker, currently living and working in the suburbs of London. She holds a doctorate from Durham University, and co-edited ‘The Call and the Commission’ (MK, Authentic, 2008). She has written for BRF Guidelines. She is passionate about contemporary culture, mission, and communication.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike many of the books that offer hope this starts from a position of realism in that life is not easy, taking the reader on a journey of hope that stems from a Jesus who has been there himself, who knows and understands our hopes and fears, and gives us the courage to believe in what is possible through Christ. I know the book will be a blessing to many.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDes Scott, Deputy Chief Executive, Church Army \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eReviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Reader, Winter 2019\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA commonly-used mantra throughout this book is, ‘The worst thing is never the last thing’, which reminded me of the phrase quoted by Evelyn Greenslade (played by Judi Dench) in the film, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: ‘Everything will be all right in the end. And if it’s not all right, then trust me, it’s not yet the end’. Book and film focus on hope as the key to combat the unknown, fear, and despair. In the book, God’s love and the presence of the Holy Spirit underpin this hope. The film scores highly on the ‘feel good factor’, the book somewhat less so. The ‘fear’ in the book predominantly focuses on the corporate and global, rather than the individual which I found slightly disappointing. It also presents a literary ‘smorgasbord’ of styles although it is still very readable. Its strengths include its (mostly) appropriate use of characters and events from the Old and New Testaments and making them relevant to today; and the ‘questions for reflection’ at the end of each chapter. Read it as a guide to further exploration of fear and trust in God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Richard Appleton\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview by Dr Philip Barlow, May 2019\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA book clearly written from the heart and the inclusion of personal anecdotes makes it easier to identify with and understand. Stories from the Bible are made relevant to today’s challenges and problems and focus the mind on the main theme of the book which is hope for the future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hope theme runs through the whole book but, as the author explains, hope is not a passive process but one that requires a pro-active approach. It is not sufficient to sit back and hope for the future, hope wants and needs action to make better things to come. Hope does not just rely on the current order but having a vision can change the future for the better. Martin Luther King’s speech of “having a dream” is referred to and sets an approach for us all to consider.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHopelessness often makes us long for the “rose coloured” past but hope drives us forward and gives us a meaningful purpose. Adopting a proactive approach with a belief that the world can become a better place lessens our fear of the future. The author explains how hope can and does allow us to be more confident in recognising the potential for our own lives and the world around us. God’s presence in the ever changing world, even if at times this is hard to see, provides the hope we need to live and prosper in a world prevailing in a culture of fear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead this book as an antidote to the often over whelming and pessimistic world we live in or as a study book (and a series of reflection questions are provided) to think about in a group meeting that hopes for a brighter future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eReviewed by Dr Philip Barlow\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2019-02-27T10:32:11+00:00","created_at":"2019-02-27T10:43:52+00:00","vendor":"Joanne Cox-Darling","type":"Paperback","tags":["Bereavement","Devotional","Kindle","May-19"],"price":899,"price_min":899,"price_max":899,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":24702508859492,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857466464","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Finding God in a Culture of Fear: Discovering hope in God’s kingdom","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":899,"weight":186,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857466464","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466464-l.jpg?v=1551264235"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466464-l.jpg?v=1551264235","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3260487401611,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":650,"width":426,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466464-l.jpg?v=1551264235"},"aspect_ratio":0.655,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466464-l.jpg?v=1551264235","width":426}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eHow can we live a little more hopefully each day?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFear, terrorism, corruption, fake news… it can be easy to become discouraged by the culture around us. Now more than ever, society needs hope in order to survive and flourish.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book takes us beyond comfort zones and easy answers, and towards a deeper understanding and practice of hope.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt offers reflections, stories and practical ways for individuals and groups to find hope in their lives through discovering more about God in their midst.Focusing on God’s intervention in biblical history, God’s presence in contemporary contexts and God’s promised hope for the future, Joanne Cox-Darling encourages us to live more confidently, noticing more of the Spirit in our daily lives, and with more compassion and – ultimately – hope in God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/JoCox-Darling1_480x480.jpg?v=1676497258\" width=\"209\" height=\"261\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoanne Cox-Darling is a Methodist minister, mother, and want-to-be baker, currently living and working in the suburbs of London. She holds a doctorate from Durham University, and co-edited ‘The Call and the Commission’ (MK, Authentic, 2008). She has written for BRF Guidelines. She is passionate about contemporary culture, mission, and communication.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike many of the books that offer hope this starts from a position of realism in that life is not easy, taking the reader on a journey of hope that stems from a Jesus who has been there himself, who knows and understands our hopes and fears, and gives us the courage to believe in what is possible through Christ. I know the book will be a blessing to many.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDes Scott, Deputy Chief Executive, Church Army \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eReviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Reader, Winter 2019\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA commonly-used mantra throughout this book is, ‘The worst thing is never the last thing’, which reminded me of the phrase quoted by Evelyn Greenslade (played by Judi Dench) in the film, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: ‘Everything will be all right in the end. And if it’s not all right, then trust me, it’s not yet the end’. Book and film focus on hope as the key to combat the unknown, fear, and despair. In the book, God’s love and the presence of the Holy Spirit underpin this hope. The film scores highly on the ‘feel good factor’, the book somewhat less so. The ‘fear’ in the book predominantly focuses on the corporate and global, rather than the individual which I found slightly disappointing. It also presents a literary ‘smorgasbord’ of styles although it is still very readable. Its strengths include its (mostly) appropriate use of characters and events from the Old and New Testaments and making them relevant to today; and the ‘questions for reflection’ at the end of each chapter. Read it as a guide to further exploration of fear and trust in God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Richard Appleton\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview by Dr Philip Barlow, May 2019\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA book clearly written from the heart and the inclusion of personal anecdotes makes it easier to identify with and understand. Stories from the Bible are made relevant to today’s challenges and problems and focus the mind on the main theme of the book which is hope for the future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hope theme runs through the whole book but, as the author explains, hope is not a passive process but one that requires a pro-active approach. It is not sufficient to sit back and hope for the future, hope wants and needs action to make better things to come. Hope does not just rely on the current order but having a vision can change the future for the better. Martin Luther King’s speech of “having a dream” is referred to and sets an approach for us all to consider.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHopelessness often makes us long for the “rose coloured” past but hope drives us forward and gives us a meaningful purpose. Adopting a proactive approach with a belief that the world can become a better place lessens our fear of the future. The author explains how hope can and does allow us to be more confident in recognising the potential for our own lives and the world around us. God’s presence in the ever changing world, even if at times this is hard to see, provides the hope we need to live and prosper in a world prevailing in a culture of fear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead this book as an antidote to the often over whelming and pessimistic world we live in or as a study book (and a series of reflection questions are provided) to think about in a group meeting that hopes for a brighter future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eReviewed by Dr Philip Barlow\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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Finding God in a Culture of Fear: Discovering hope in God’s kingdom
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{"id":2439785447524,"title":"Followers of the Way: Ancient discipleship for modern Christians","handle":"followers-of-the-way","description":"\u003cp\u003eIf discipleship is about connecting more deeply with God and connecting God with the whole of life, Simon Reed argues, we’re looking at a lifelong process that requires long-term skills rather than short-term courses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Celtic and Desert Christians, drawing on Old and New Testament practices, modelled how to do this through the practice of living by a Way of Life. In this updated edition, \u003ci\u003eFollowers of the Way \u003c\/i\u003eexplores how we can look to Celtic Christianity to inspire authentic Christian discipleship today.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘Enables busy contemporary Christian people to discover a more authentically Christian way of life for themselves as individuals and as a gathered community.’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStephen Skuce, District Superintendent, North Western District of the Methodist Church in Ireland\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor Info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimon Reed is an Anglican minister with two churches in Ealing, London. He is also one of the three Guardians of the Community of Aidan and Hilda, an international and cross-denominational network of Christians who draw inspiration from Celtic spirituality for the renewal of today’s church. His first book for BRF, \u003ci\u003eCreating Community, \u003c\/i\u003eshowed how today’s churches can become living communities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eReviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTransforming Ministry Summer 2023. Review by Jane Slinger\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn our journey as followers of Jesus Christ, do we know how to integrate and sustain discipleship in all areas of our life? Reed, a Guardian of the Community of Aidan and Hilda, answers by showing us a ‘way of life’ inspired by the ancient wisdom and practice of Celtic Christianity. Like following a map, we need help and direction to know where we are going. In each chapter he explains and discusses different practices to enable us to ‘set out on a lifelong journey to connect more deeply with God and to connect God with the whole of life.’ I particularly liked the chapters on healing and prayer. Thus, by following this way of life, ‘we must become better people, living better lives in a better world.’ What more could we wish to achieve? The book is warmly and personally written, particularly relevant today as we have so few answers to the many seemingly insurmountable problems in our lives. There is a great need to bring healing and wholeness to the whole of creation. I thoroughly recommend this enjoyable book. R\u003cem\u003eeviewed by Jane Slinger \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e \u003c\/h5\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:22:51+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:22:53+00:00","vendor":"Simon Reed","type":"Paperback","tags":["Celtic Christianity","Devotional","Discipleship","Prayer","Spirituality"],"price":999,"price_min":999,"price_max":999,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769564061796,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800391628","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":32966801621183,"product_id":2439785447524,"position":1,"created_at":"2022-07-28T16:28:07+01:00","updated_at":"2022-07-28T16:28:08+01:00","alt":null,"width":1535,"height":2339,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/FollowersoftheWay.jpg?v=1659022088","variant_ids":[21769564061796]},"available":true,"name":"Followers of the Way: Ancient discipleship for modern Christians - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":999,"weight":270,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781800391628","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":25541547524287,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":2339,"width":1535,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/FollowersoftheWay.jpg?v=1659022088"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/FollowersoftheWay.jpg?v=1659022088"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/FollowersoftheWay.jpg?v=1659022088","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":25541547524287,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":2339,"width":1535,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/FollowersoftheWay.jpg?v=1659022088"},"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":2339,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/FollowersoftheWay.jpg?v=1659022088","width":1535}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eIf discipleship is about connecting more deeply with God and connecting God with the whole of life, Simon Reed argues, we’re looking at a lifelong process that requires long-term skills rather than short-term courses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Celtic and Desert Christians, drawing on Old and New Testament practices, modelled how to do this through the practice of living by a Way of Life. In this updated edition, \u003ci\u003eFollowers of the Way \u003c\/i\u003eexplores how we can look to Celtic Christianity to inspire authentic Christian discipleship today.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘Enables busy contemporary Christian people to discover a more authentically Christian way of life for themselves as individuals and as a gathered community.’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStephen Skuce, District Superintendent, North Western District of the Methodist Church in Ireland\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor Info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimon Reed is an Anglican minister with two churches in Ealing, London. He is also one of the three Guardians of the Community of Aidan and Hilda, an international and cross-denominational network of Christians who draw inspiration from Celtic spirituality for the renewal of today’s church. His first book for BRF, \u003ci\u003eCreating Community, \u003c\/i\u003eshowed how today’s churches can become living communities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eReviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTransforming Ministry Summer 2023. Review by Jane Slinger\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn our journey as followers of Jesus Christ, do we know how to integrate and sustain discipleship in all areas of our life? Reed, a Guardian of the Community of Aidan and Hilda, answers by showing us a ‘way of life’ inspired by the ancient wisdom and practice of Celtic Christianity. Like following a map, we need help and direction to know where we are going. In each chapter he explains and discusses different practices to enable us to ‘set out on a lifelong journey to connect more deeply with God and to connect God with the whole of life.’ I particularly liked the chapters on healing and prayer. Thus, by following this way of life, ‘we must become better people, living better lives in a better world.’ What more could we wish to achieve? The book is warmly and personally written, particularly relevant today as we have so few answers to the many seemingly insurmountable problems in our lives. There is a great need to bring healing and wholeness to the whole of creation. I thoroughly recommend this enjoyable book. R\u003cem\u003eeviewed by Jane Slinger \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e \u003c\/h5\u003e"}
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{"id":4163033366667,"title":"Franciscan Footprints: Following Christ in the ways of Francis and Clare","handle":"franciscan-footprints-following-christ-in-the-ways-of-francis-and-clare","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere are many ways of following Christ – each footprint is unique. One of these, the Franciscan spiritual journey, has been tried and tested over the centuries, and the experiences of St Francis and St Clare and all those who have been inspired by their lives still resonate with us. Helen Julian CSF explores the distinctive features of their spirituality and shows how these practices can be applied to, and become part of, our daily lives.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThrough stories of care for creation, social justice, mission, preaching, contemplative spirituality and simple living, discover your own pathway today.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor Information\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHelen Julian CSF was an Anglican Franciscan sister and a priest, who served her community as Minister General. She wrote three books for BRF Ministries and was a contributor to BRF’s New Daylight Bible reading notes and 'Fellowship' Holy Habits Bible Reflections and Group Studies.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can read Helen Julian's blog about the writing of this book click \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/blogs\/collections\/franciscan-footprints-following-christ-in-the-ways-of-francis-and-clare-helen-julian-csf-tells-the-story-of-her-new-book-for-brf\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eReviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Sr Maranu Gascoigne, Tau, the journal of the Third Order Society of St Francis, Province of the Pacific (November 2021)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn memory of Sr. Helen Julian with whom I was a novice in CSF for several years I purchased a copy on my kindle and now wished I had a hard copy that I could hand on…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat is the kind of book she has written. You will want everyone who is a friend of Francis and Clare, a follower of SSF\/CSF\/TSSF \/Community of St. Clare \/FI (Franciscans International) to read it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt is first and foremost an historical document. Helen’s detective approach and eye for detail throughout brings to life the followers of Francis and Clare tracing the stories of not only our Founders but also thinkers, mystics, martyrs, missionaries and those whose passion was for social justice. Many of whom found a home within the Third Order. She propels us forward with her inclusion of FI (Franciscan International). \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMaybe I am biased since I can almost hear Helen Julian reading it to me, her nuances, intonations and occasional rye giggle captures her spirit and dedication to CSF over 3 decades.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHelen Julian gifts us a legacy, what is clearly our whakapapa, a road map of where we have come from. By way of invitation she offers us a beautiful question on page 15, ‘what is yours to do’? So succinctly are a series of questions at the end of each chapter and a source for all of us to sit in prayer with. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI hope that we here in TSSF Aotearoa gift everyone who enquires a copy of this book (happy to fund it!). It is jam packed with Bibliography for further reading. A comprehensive section of websites and a complete index of all the Franciscans that she has named in the book. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOver recent months I have heard a similar phrase used, 'what is ours to do?' and I am honouring Sr. Helen Julian who may have been the inspiration to this ‘credo’ that we as TSSF Aotearoa have so identified with. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDon’t buy one copy buy at least two!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Maranu Gascoigne \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFairacres Chronicle Summer 2020. Review by John-Francis Friendship\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e This is a book about people whose lives were inspired by these two saints of Assisi. Through simple stories of martyrs and mystics, missionaries and thinkers, writers and others involved in pastoral care and social justice, Sr Helen Julian offers a series of compellingly-written and moving biographies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom thirteenth-century Italians to twentieth-century Congolese she weaves a rich and diverse tapestry of friars, sisters and Poor Clares, members of religious congregations, housewives and priests—mostly Roman Catholic but also Anglican—saints and ‘ordinary’ Christians. Some well-known, others less so; some have straddled the pages of history, others have remained hidden to all but a few. Christian heroes great and small whose lives will inspire you and leave you with the lingering taste of heaven.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn providing us with short accounts of lives inspired by Christ and the two saints of Assisi, Sr Helen Julian invites us to do what Clare advised her own sister, St Agnes: ‘Place your mind before the mirror of eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance of glory! And transform your entire being into the image of the Godhead Itself through contemplation.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Fr John-Francis Friendship\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTransforming Ministry Spring 2021. Review by Liz Pacey\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSubtitled ‘Following Christ in the ways of Francis and Clare’, the main protagonists are of course these two founders of Franciscan spirituality. Much more than this, the book covers a breadth of experience down the years and across all walks of human life. Each chapter brings us examples lived out from the 13th century to modern times: the lives of mystics, martyrs, missionaries and many more. Each chapter ends with questions, causing us not only to reflect on the ways and situations of these holy people, but equally importantly on our own. The final chapter is titled ‘The witness of life: simply living’. Here are the ordinary people. Any lingering doubts we may have had about where we could fit in are dispelled. This is a truly inspirational book on many levels. We see so many times where a life truly devoted to God, and given the right encouragement on the way, can lead. And through it all we have the words of Francis himself in our heads. The importance of discerning and carrying out in our lives: ‘May Christ teach you what is yours (to do)’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eReview by Liz Pacey\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Church Times, 18 September 2020. Review by Lavinia Byrne\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe subtitle sets the tone of this judicious little book. It makes clear that these accounts of the saints’ lives and those of their many followers are about following Christ, not imitating the founders’ personal sanctity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEighty-eight of these individual followers are listed in the index, and that is before the reader even makes contact with the founding charism through the inspiration of the religious orders, both Anglican and Roman Catholic. Sister Helen Julian is ideally equipped to write this book, as Minister General of the Anglican Community of St Francis. Founded in 1905 by Rosina Eleanor Rice, the Community has Sisters in England, San Francisco, and South Korea, and forms what is known technically as the Second Order of Franciscans, the first being the male religious, and the Third Order being their lay followers. There is also a group known as Franciscans International.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYet the scope of the book’s appeal should go wider than members of the Franciscan family; for here is an unsentimental story of the many and varied ways in which the spirit of Francis and Clare has led people to simple heroism. The human face of this heroism is demonstrated through channels that the reader might readily have predicted: good works, a commitment to social justice, care of others, and the witness of living simply. Intriguingly, Sister Helen Julian takes her remit further and tells us about the vocations of thinkers and writers and the pursuit of learning. She is equally interested in the mystics and spiritual writers, missionaries and preachers, and martyrs and pastors who have all found inspiration in the Franciscan way of life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany of these accounts are historical: she starts of by telling the stories of Francis and Clare themselves, then of the Anglican founders who emerged in the early 20th century to carry the flame forward. But the book’s real impact comes from the many stories that bring it right up to date. Memories of the recently dead sit seamlessly alongside accounts from earlier centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe result: a sense that Francis and Clare’s heritage is in good hands and that the charism deserves to survive. After all, it has served its purpose: it has enabled many to follow Christ.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Lavinia Byrne\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003efranciscan\u003c\/em\u003e September 2020 \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReview by Hazel Berry TSSF\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘I have done what is mine, may Christ teach you what is yours’. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSr Helen Julian uses this advice that Francis gave to the brothers shortly before he died to set the scene for her fascinating profiles of the many Franciscan brothers, sisters and third order members down the ages who have responded to his dying message. She deftly traces Francis’ footprints across the centuries with descriptions of those who knew Francis and Clare up to the present day with a moving description of Mychal Judge, a 21\u003csup\u003est\u003c\/sup\u003e Century Franciscan, who died ministering to the firefighters in the South Tower of the World Trade Centre after the devastation of 9\/11.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first two chapters provide an interesting description of the founding fathers and mothers of the First and Second Orders. There is also a brief mention of the formation of the Third Order in the Catholic and Anglican Churches. I would particularly recommend these chapters to anyone interested in finding out more about the Franciscan life especially those looking to test their vocation in one of the three orders.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLater chapters focus on different categories of Franciscans: ‘Thinkers and Writers’; Mystics and Spiritual Writers’; Social Care and Justice’; ‘Martyrs’; ‘Missionaries and Preachers’; and Pastors. As someone who spent their working life in social services and the justice system in the UK, the section on social care and justice was of special interest. The work done by Franciscans in pursuit of social justice, with for example with those suffering with AIDs and with immigrant communities is inspirational. A great deal of this work is done under the umbrella of Franciscans International as well as by many individual Franciscans.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book concludes with a chapter on ‘Simply Living’, which was and always will be a mark of the Franciscan life. I was intrigued to read that Pope John XXIII, a modern exemplar of simply living, joined the Third Order as a teenager and at one point considered becoming a friar. But as he said on a visit to a friary after becoming Pope: ‘a stronger wind blew me on another road’. Notwithstanding this change of direction, in his short tenure as Pope he did in fact embrace many Franciscan themes. And as Helen Julian, author of this excellent little book suggests, the Second Vatican Council could be seen as Pope John’s response to Christ’s call to Francis to, ‘Go rebuild my house!’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHazel Berry TSSF\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Salvationist 01.08.20\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReview by Major Martin Hill\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSaint Francis and his spiritual companion, Saint Clare, have given more than 800 years of inspiration to Christians of all ages and backgrounds who yearn for pure and unadulterated devotion to Christ. In \u003cem\u003eFranciscan Footprints\u003c\/em\u003e, Helen Julian reminds us that ‘Francis and Clare set examples of community life, of a deep spiritual life, of care for others in their need and for creation, of pastoral care, of preaching the word and taking it to places where it had not been heard, of simply living in the mundane reality of life and of being willing to lay down their lives even unto death.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSt Francis’s own story is one of transformation from seeking pleasure to embracing poverty, the poor, prayer, liturgy and lepers. \u003cem\u003eFranciscan Footprints\u003c\/em\u003e contains brief biographies of individual lives shaped by Francis, Clare and the Franciscan ideal. Their stories prove that a passionate desire to follow Christ can be deeply attractive. They include thinkers, writers, mystics, carers, campaigners, martyrs, missionaries, preachers and pastors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBe inspired by Giles, a farm labourer and early companion of Francis, who was also a perceptive pastor, or by Duns Scotus, the eminent 13th-century theologian and philosopher. Admire Ramon Llull, who believed in converting Muslims through prayer, not crusade, and promoted dialogue between Abrahamic faiths. Meet royalty like Elizabeth of Hungary and orphans like Angela Merici.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead about Rosina Rice, a ‘slum sister’ in London from the late 19th century, or Jack Winslow and Algy Robertson, who in the 20th century developed a Christian ashram in India. Discover John Bradburne, who served lepers in Zimbabwe, Sister Ruth and Colin Wilfred, who served HIV\/Aids sufferers in the USA and UK respectively. Reflect on the thoughts of contemporary teacher and writer Richard Rohr, who combines spirituality, social justice, action and contemplation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelen highlights unsung heroes, as well as acknowledging some well-known names. We see the footprints of men and women who rarely make the footnotes. It means there is every likelihood that somewhere in the pages of this book you will meet someone to relate to or even emulate. It proves ‘how many different ways there are to please God’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReform July-A\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eugust 2020. Review by Diana Paulding\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book charts the development and flourishing of the Franciscan tradition, from the 13th-century lives of Francis and Clare of Assisi to the modern-day Anglican Franciscan community.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmploying an unusual but effective style, Helen Julian focuses on individuals who have embodied the teachings of Francis and Clare throughout the centuries, and those who have lived out lives devoted to Christ within the Franciscan tradition. These individuals are numerous and diverse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough biographies of each of their lives, Helen Julian seeks to illuminate the ways in which we too can live Christ-centric lives with the devotion and humility that the first founders modelled. Richly researched, \u003cem\u003eFranciscan Footprints\u003c\/em\u003e contains dozens of brief biographies, grouped by the subjects’ defining characteristics, be that writers or mystics, martyrs or preachers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe great strength of this structure is that it allows the reader to view the tradition from many angles, rather than simply as a timeline of significant members. Nonetheless, Helen Julian also manages to cover the range of eras and cultures that the Franciscan tradition has spanned, taking us to medieval Italy, Reformation Europe, the seminaries of 20th-century China, among Peruvian guerrilla organisations, and to the Twin Towers on 9\/11.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn many ways, \u003cem\u003eFranciscan Footprints \u003c\/em\u003eis a who’s who of the Franciscan tradition, although the brevity of each biography means that it only provides introductory information about each person. Reflective questions at the end of each chapter encourage the reader to consider how these disciples’ lives can inform and inspire their own. The common themes of service to others, humble lives, and devotion to God can provide inspiration for us all, regardless of our own religious tradition. The 17th century ‘flying friar’, however, may be best read as a good story about levitation rather than inspiration for our own preaching!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDiana Paulding is an Old Testament graduate based in Norfolk\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Ted Witham TSSF, on the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tssf.org.au\/2020\/05\/17\/following-the-followers-of-saint-francis-sister-helen-julians-new-book\/?fbclid=IwAR2KaES2ny0fw7r6aDhfG73clL76YCsk5kD22TJ1M8a9larejq2uvdwFWFo\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ewebsite\u003c\/a\u003e of the Third Order, Society of St Francis Australia, May 2020\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFranciscan Footprints\u003c\/em\u003e, like much of Franciscan spirituality, is deceptively simple. In this helpful and engaging book, Sister Helen Julian, Minister General of the Anglican Community of St Francis, tells the story of about 100 Franciscans over the last 800 years – from Saints Francis and Clare in the 12th Century to Padre Pio and Algy Robertson SSF in the 20th Century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe stories of mainly individuals and some organisations are presented in nine thematic chapters. The first two chapters tell the stories of the original founders, the two Assisi saints, Francis and Clare, and the founders of the Anglican Franciscans, including Sister Rosina Mary CSF, who founded the Community of Saint Francis in 1905.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe titles of further chapters, ‘Thinkers and Writers’, ‘Mystics and Spiritual Writers’, ‘Social Care, Social Justice’, ‘Martyrs’, ‘Missionaries and Preachers’, ‘Pastors’ and ‘Simply Living’, display the breadth of the Franciscan way of life. Placing each of her characters into these themes allows Sister Helen to ‘follow the followers’ and explore the many paths along which Franciscans follow Jesus. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Franciscan intellectual tradition is represented strongly by the 13th Century Bonaventure and the 21st Century Sister Ilia Delio.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany of these Franciscans are new to me. Felix of Cantalice (born 1515) was a ploughman who became a lay Franciscan friar. He begged for the friars in Rome for many years, and was known as Brother Deo Gratias, because he exclaimed, ‘Thanks be to God’ (\u003cem\u003eDeo Gratias\u003c\/em\u003e) for every gift. He sang simple songs in the street and was beloved of children and the poor. His story is told under ‘Simply Living’: his life was seemingly uneventful, but by faithfully being who he was attracted many.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was good to see the United Nations NGO Franciscans International in its context as an expression of the Franciscan family’s social care and social justice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI commend Franciscan Footprints warmly. It is a good book to share within the Franciscan family and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt his death, Saint Francis said, ‘I have done what is mine to do. May Christ teach you what is yours.’ Helen Julian’s book will help both long-term Franciscans and the curious to learn what Christ is teaching them what their life might be. The characters in her book have made their Franciscan footprints. Readers will find much in this book to help them make their own Franciscan Footprints.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eReviewed by Ted Witham TSSF\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Richard Frost, BRF author and blogger, May 2020\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘Shortly before his death, Francis looked at the brothers gathered around him. ‘I have done what is mine,’ he said. ‘May Christ teach you what is yours.’ So begins Helen Julian’s excellent book about the gift left for us by Francis and Clare of Assisi and many who have made their own footprints for people to follow: ‘The gift is the inspiration of their lives and writings, and the fellowship of their prayers,’ she writes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter outlining the origins and development of Franciscan religious communities, Helen Julian tells the stories of many significant individuals from the time of Francis and Clare right through to the present day. She introduces the readers to some of who come from the author’s own Anglican Franciscan community as well as historical figures, some canonised and others who are simply saints. ‘You could think of it as arriving at a party: I’m standing next to you and telling you about the people gathered in the room. Then you can decide who you’d like to get to know better,’ she writes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelen Julian covers first, second and third order Franciscan writers and thinkers, mystics and spiritual writers, social care and justice influencers, martyrs and pastors and those who the author describes as ‘witnessing by simply living’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn many respects, \u003cem\u003eFranciscan Footprints\u003c\/em\u003e is a book of stories and despite their variety and often inspirational nature, for this reviewer there were too many of them. But it’s not a book that needs to be read in one sitting nor in the order in which the chapters are presented. Each chapter ends with a thought-provoking suggestion for reflection which with careful selection could be used for small group discussion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn writing about the 13\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century Scottish Franciscan, Duns Scotus, Helen Julian writes in a way that sums up the whole book: ‘You may feel out of depth in their ideas. But I encourage you to at least paddle in the shallows of their thoughts: you may be surprised by what you discover.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComing in to the 21\u003csup\u003est\u003c\/sup\u003e century, here is a prayer by American friar Mychal Judge, who became the first officially recorded fatality in the Twins Towers attack on 11 September 2001 while helping others to escape:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLord, take me where you want me to go;\u003cbr\u003eLet me meet who you want me to meet;\u003cbr\u003eTell me what you want me to say;\u003cbr\u003eAnd keep me out of your way. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRichard Frost is the author of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/products\/life-with-st-benedict-the-rule-re-imagined-for-everyday-living\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eLife with St Benedict\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e and writes a blog at \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/workrestpray.com\/\"\u003eworkrestpray.com\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview of Franciscan Footprints by Rona Bure: Third Order, Society of St Francis, European Province website \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.tssf.org.uk\"\u003ewww.tssf.org.uk\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis small book covers a great deal of ground – not only in time but in the grouping of the various men and women into Anglican founders, thinkers and writers, mystics and spiritual writers; social care, social justice, martyrs, missionaries and preachers, pastors and simply living. This enables the reader to realise the depth and scope of what these Franciscans did in their lives. Indeed Helen Julian CSF quotes from St Clare as follows:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘She said that they had been called to be like mirrors, in which people could look and see Christ. A mirror doesn’t exist to be looked at for itself; its whole purpose is to reflect back accurately what is in front of it.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a challenge for all Franciscans throughout time and today. Can we be a Mirror to the World? This is a question which many of the people in this book have tried to answer. You too can try and answer the questions posed at the end of every chapter. This could be a very useful exercise in exploring your interest in Francis and Clare. The very different themes of the chapters will resonate in different ways to you depending on your particular view. I see much debate ensuing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am not a theologian and read simply to learn and explore to develop my understanding of what it is to be a Franciscan. There were many names in this book with which I was not familiar with and it widened my perspective and put others into context. In this time when challenges abound this book reminds us how important it is to be servants of our communities in every way. However this is not an easy task and I was heartened with the honest comment that Helen Julian makes in the book in that she throws at us a perspective that says we can fail but demonstrates as one door closes another opens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the end of the Chapter on Pastors Helen Julian writes:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘When that door opens and someone appears, I always send up a silent prayer, ‘Lord, let me listen with your ears and respond from your heart.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is no doubt that the Franciscans in this book did so. Can we follow in the Footsteps? Read the book and ponder…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Rona Bure\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2019-09-25T12:16:12+01:00","created_at":"2019-09-25T12:16:12+01:00","vendor":"Helen Julian","type":"Paperback","tags":["Apr-20","For individuals","Kindle","Spirituality"],"price":899,"price_min":899,"price_max":899,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":30263391060107,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857468116","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Franciscan Footprints: Following Christ in the ways of Francis and Clare","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":899,"weight":200,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857468116","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857468116.jpg?v=1569410256"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857468116.jpg?v=1569410256","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":2274533965963,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":1524,"width":1000,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857468116.jpg?v=1569410256"},"aspect_ratio":0.656,"height":1524,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857468116.jpg?v=1569410256","width":1000}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere are many ways of following Christ – each footprint is unique. One of these, the Franciscan spiritual journey, has been tried and tested over the centuries, and the experiences of St Francis and St Clare and all those who have been inspired by their lives still resonate with us. Helen Julian CSF explores the distinctive features of their spirituality and shows how these practices can be applied to, and become part of, our daily lives.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThrough stories of care for creation, social justice, mission, preaching, contemplative spirituality and simple living, discover your own pathway today.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor Information\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHelen Julian CSF was an Anglican Franciscan sister and a priest, who served her community as Minister General. She wrote three books for BRF Ministries and was a contributor to BRF’s New Daylight Bible reading notes and 'Fellowship' Holy Habits Bible Reflections and Group Studies.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can read Helen Julian's blog about the writing of this book click \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/blogs\/collections\/franciscan-footprints-following-christ-in-the-ways-of-francis-and-clare-helen-julian-csf-tells-the-story-of-her-new-book-for-brf\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eReviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Sr Maranu Gascoigne, Tau, the journal of the Third Order Society of St Francis, Province of the Pacific (November 2021)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn memory of Sr. Helen Julian with whom I was a novice in CSF for several years I purchased a copy on my kindle and now wished I had a hard copy that I could hand on…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat is the kind of book she has written. You will want everyone who is a friend of Francis and Clare, a follower of SSF\/CSF\/TSSF \/Community of St. Clare \/FI (Franciscans International) to read it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt is first and foremost an historical document. Helen’s detective approach and eye for detail throughout brings to life the followers of Francis and Clare tracing the stories of not only our Founders but also thinkers, mystics, martyrs, missionaries and those whose passion was for social justice. Many of whom found a home within the Third Order. She propels us forward with her inclusion of FI (Franciscan International). \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMaybe I am biased since I can almost hear Helen Julian reading it to me, her nuances, intonations and occasional rye giggle captures her spirit and dedication to CSF over 3 decades.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHelen Julian gifts us a legacy, what is clearly our whakapapa, a road map of where we have come from. By way of invitation she offers us a beautiful question on page 15, ‘what is yours to do’? So succinctly are a series of questions at the end of each chapter and a source for all of us to sit in prayer with. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI hope that we here in TSSF Aotearoa gift everyone who enquires a copy of this book (happy to fund it!). It is jam packed with Bibliography for further reading. A comprehensive section of websites and a complete index of all the Franciscans that she has named in the book. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOver recent months I have heard a similar phrase used, 'what is ours to do?' and I am honouring Sr. Helen Julian who may have been the inspiration to this ‘credo’ that we as TSSF Aotearoa have so identified with. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDon’t buy one copy buy at least two!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Maranu Gascoigne \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFairacres Chronicle Summer 2020. Review by John-Francis Friendship\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e This is a book about people whose lives were inspired by these two saints of Assisi. Through simple stories of martyrs and mystics, missionaries and thinkers, writers and others involved in pastoral care and social justice, Sr Helen Julian offers a series of compellingly-written and moving biographies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom thirteenth-century Italians to twentieth-century Congolese she weaves a rich and diverse tapestry of friars, sisters and Poor Clares, members of religious congregations, housewives and priests—mostly Roman Catholic but also Anglican—saints and ‘ordinary’ Christians. Some well-known, others less so; some have straddled the pages of history, others have remained hidden to all but a few. Christian heroes great and small whose lives will inspire you and leave you with the lingering taste of heaven.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn providing us with short accounts of lives inspired by Christ and the two saints of Assisi, Sr Helen Julian invites us to do what Clare advised her own sister, St Agnes: ‘Place your mind before the mirror of eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance of glory! And transform your entire being into the image of the Godhead Itself through contemplation.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Fr John-Francis Friendship\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTransforming Ministry Spring 2021. Review by Liz Pacey\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSubtitled ‘Following Christ in the ways of Francis and Clare’, the main protagonists are of course these two founders of Franciscan spirituality. Much more than this, the book covers a breadth of experience down the years and across all walks of human life. Each chapter brings us examples lived out from the 13th century to modern times: the lives of mystics, martyrs, missionaries and many more. Each chapter ends with questions, causing us not only to reflect on the ways and situations of these holy people, but equally importantly on our own. The final chapter is titled ‘The witness of life: simply living’. Here are the ordinary people. Any lingering doubts we may have had about where we could fit in are dispelled. This is a truly inspirational book on many levels. We see so many times where a life truly devoted to God, and given the right encouragement on the way, can lead. And through it all we have the words of Francis himself in our heads. The importance of discerning and carrying out in our lives: ‘May Christ teach you what is yours (to do)’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eReview by Liz Pacey\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Church Times, 18 September 2020. Review by Lavinia Byrne\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe subtitle sets the tone of this judicious little book. It makes clear that these accounts of the saints’ lives and those of their many followers are about following Christ, not imitating the founders’ personal sanctity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEighty-eight of these individual followers are listed in the index, and that is before the reader even makes contact with the founding charism through the inspiration of the religious orders, both Anglican and Roman Catholic. Sister Helen Julian is ideally equipped to write this book, as Minister General of the Anglican Community of St Francis. Founded in 1905 by Rosina Eleanor Rice, the Community has Sisters in England, San Francisco, and South Korea, and forms what is known technically as the Second Order of Franciscans, the first being the male religious, and the Third Order being their lay followers. There is also a group known as Franciscans International.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYet the scope of the book’s appeal should go wider than members of the Franciscan family; for here is an unsentimental story of the many and varied ways in which the spirit of Francis and Clare has led people to simple heroism. The human face of this heroism is demonstrated through channels that the reader might readily have predicted: good works, a commitment to social justice, care of others, and the witness of living simply. Intriguingly, Sister Helen Julian takes her remit further and tells us about the vocations of thinkers and writers and the pursuit of learning. She is equally interested in the mystics and spiritual writers, missionaries and preachers, and martyrs and pastors who have all found inspiration in the Franciscan way of life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany of these accounts are historical: she starts of by telling the stories of Francis and Clare themselves, then of the Anglican founders who emerged in the early 20th century to carry the flame forward. But the book’s real impact comes from the many stories that bring it right up to date. Memories of the recently dead sit seamlessly alongside accounts from earlier centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe result: a sense that Francis and Clare’s heritage is in good hands and that the charism deserves to survive. After all, it has served its purpose: it has enabled many to follow Christ.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Lavinia Byrne\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003efranciscan\u003c\/em\u003e September 2020 \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReview by Hazel Berry TSSF\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘I have done what is mine, may Christ teach you what is yours’. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSr Helen Julian uses this advice that Francis gave to the brothers shortly before he died to set the scene for her fascinating profiles of the many Franciscan brothers, sisters and third order members down the ages who have responded to his dying message. She deftly traces Francis’ footprints across the centuries with descriptions of those who knew Francis and Clare up to the present day with a moving description of Mychal Judge, a 21\u003csup\u003est\u003c\/sup\u003e Century Franciscan, who died ministering to the firefighters in the South Tower of the World Trade Centre after the devastation of 9\/11.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first two chapters provide an interesting description of the founding fathers and mothers of the First and Second Orders. There is also a brief mention of the formation of the Third Order in the Catholic and Anglican Churches. I would particularly recommend these chapters to anyone interested in finding out more about the Franciscan life especially those looking to test their vocation in one of the three orders.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLater chapters focus on different categories of Franciscans: ‘Thinkers and Writers’; Mystics and Spiritual Writers’; Social Care and Justice’; ‘Martyrs’; ‘Missionaries and Preachers’; and Pastors. As someone who spent their working life in social services and the justice system in the UK, the section on social care and justice was of special interest. The work done by Franciscans in pursuit of social justice, with for example with those suffering with AIDs and with immigrant communities is inspirational. A great deal of this work is done under the umbrella of Franciscans International as well as by many individual Franciscans.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book concludes with a chapter on ‘Simply Living’, which was and always will be a mark of the Franciscan life. I was intrigued to read that Pope John XXIII, a modern exemplar of simply living, joined the Third Order as a teenager and at one point considered becoming a friar. But as he said on a visit to a friary after becoming Pope: ‘a stronger wind blew me on another road’. Notwithstanding this change of direction, in his short tenure as Pope he did in fact embrace many Franciscan themes. And as Helen Julian, author of this excellent little book suggests, the Second Vatican Council could be seen as Pope John’s response to Christ’s call to Francis to, ‘Go rebuild my house!’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHazel Berry TSSF\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Salvationist 01.08.20\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReview by Major Martin Hill\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSaint Francis and his spiritual companion, Saint Clare, have given more than 800 years of inspiration to Christians of all ages and backgrounds who yearn for pure and unadulterated devotion to Christ. In \u003cem\u003eFranciscan Footprints\u003c\/em\u003e, Helen Julian reminds us that ‘Francis and Clare set examples of community life, of a deep spiritual life, of care for others in their need and for creation, of pastoral care, of preaching the word and taking it to places where it had not been heard, of simply living in the mundane reality of life and of being willing to lay down their lives even unto death.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSt Francis’s own story is one of transformation from seeking pleasure to embracing poverty, the poor, prayer, liturgy and lepers. \u003cem\u003eFranciscan Footprints\u003c\/em\u003e contains brief biographies of individual lives shaped by Francis, Clare and the Franciscan ideal. Their stories prove that a passionate desire to follow Christ can be deeply attractive. They include thinkers, writers, mystics, carers, campaigners, martyrs, missionaries, preachers and pastors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBe inspired by Giles, a farm labourer and early companion of Francis, who was also a perceptive pastor, or by Duns Scotus, the eminent 13th-century theologian and philosopher. Admire Ramon Llull, who believed in converting Muslims through prayer, not crusade, and promoted dialogue between Abrahamic faiths. Meet royalty like Elizabeth of Hungary and orphans like Angela Merici.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead about Rosina Rice, a ‘slum sister’ in London from the late 19th century, or Jack Winslow and Algy Robertson, who in the 20th century developed a Christian ashram in India. Discover John Bradburne, who served lepers in Zimbabwe, Sister Ruth and Colin Wilfred, who served HIV\/Aids sufferers in the USA and UK respectively. Reflect on the thoughts of contemporary teacher and writer Richard Rohr, who combines spirituality, social justice, action and contemplation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelen highlights unsung heroes, as well as acknowledging some well-known names. We see the footprints of men and women who rarely make the footnotes. It means there is every likelihood that somewhere in the pages of this book you will meet someone to relate to or even emulate. It proves ‘how many different ways there are to please God’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReform July-A\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eugust 2020. Review by Diana Paulding\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book charts the development and flourishing of the Franciscan tradition, from the 13th-century lives of Francis and Clare of Assisi to the modern-day Anglican Franciscan community.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmploying an unusual but effective style, Helen Julian focuses on individuals who have embodied the teachings of Francis and Clare throughout the centuries, and those who have lived out lives devoted to Christ within the Franciscan tradition. These individuals are numerous and diverse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough biographies of each of their lives, Helen Julian seeks to illuminate the ways in which we too can live Christ-centric lives with the devotion and humility that the first founders modelled. Richly researched, \u003cem\u003eFranciscan Footprints\u003c\/em\u003e contains dozens of brief biographies, grouped by the subjects’ defining characteristics, be that writers or mystics, martyrs or preachers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe great strength of this structure is that it allows the reader to view the tradition from many angles, rather than simply as a timeline of significant members. Nonetheless, Helen Julian also manages to cover the range of eras and cultures that the Franciscan tradition has spanned, taking us to medieval Italy, Reformation Europe, the seminaries of 20th-century China, among Peruvian guerrilla organisations, and to the Twin Towers on 9\/11.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn many ways, \u003cem\u003eFranciscan Footprints \u003c\/em\u003eis a who’s who of the Franciscan tradition, although the brevity of each biography means that it only provides introductory information about each person. Reflective questions at the end of each chapter encourage the reader to consider how these disciples’ lives can inform and inspire their own. The common themes of service to others, humble lives, and devotion to God can provide inspiration for us all, regardless of our own religious tradition. The 17th century ‘flying friar’, however, may be best read as a good story about levitation rather than inspiration for our own preaching!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDiana Paulding is an Old Testament graduate based in Norfolk\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Ted Witham TSSF, on the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tssf.org.au\/2020\/05\/17\/following-the-followers-of-saint-francis-sister-helen-julians-new-book\/?fbclid=IwAR2KaES2ny0fw7r6aDhfG73clL76YCsk5kD22TJ1M8a9larejq2uvdwFWFo\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ewebsite\u003c\/a\u003e of the Third Order, Society of St Francis Australia, May 2020\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFranciscan Footprints\u003c\/em\u003e, like much of Franciscan spirituality, is deceptively simple. In this helpful and engaging book, Sister Helen Julian, Minister General of the Anglican Community of St Francis, tells the story of about 100 Franciscans over the last 800 years – from Saints Francis and Clare in the 12th Century to Padre Pio and Algy Robertson SSF in the 20th Century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe stories of mainly individuals and some organisations are presented in nine thematic chapters. The first two chapters tell the stories of the original founders, the two Assisi saints, Francis and Clare, and the founders of the Anglican Franciscans, including Sister Rosina Mary CSF, who founded the Community of Saint Francis in 1905.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe titles of further chapters, ‘Thinkers and Writers’, ‘Mystics and Spiritual Writers’, ‘Social Care, Social Justice’, ‘Martyrs’, ‘Missionaries and Preachers’, ‘Pastors’ and ‘Simply Living’, display the breadth of the Franciscan way of life. Placing each of her characters into these themes allows Sister Helen to ‘follow the followers’ and explore the many paths along which Franciscans follow Jesus. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Franciscan intellectual tradition is represented strongly by the 13th Century Bonaventure and the 21st Century Sister Ilia Delio.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany of these Franciscans are new to me. Felix of Cantalice (born 1515) was a ploughman who became a lay Franciscan friar. He begged for the friars in Rome for many years, and was known as Brother Deo Gratias, because he exclaimed, ‘Thanks be to God’ (\u003cem\u003eDeo Gratias\u003c\/em\u003e) for every gift. He sang simple songs in the street and was beloved of children and the poor. His story is told under ‘Simply Living’: his life was seemingly uneventful, but by faithfully being who he was attracted many.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was good to see the United Nations NGO Franciscans International in its context as an expression of the Franciscan family’s social care and social justice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI commend Franciscan Footprints warmly. It is a good book to share within the Franciscan family and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt his death, Saint Francis said, ‘I have done what is mine to do. May Christ teach you what is yours.’ Helen Julian’s book will help both long-term Franciscans and the curious to learn what Christ is teaching them what their life might be. The characters in her book have made their Franciscan footprints. Readers will find much in this book to help them make their own Franciscan Footprints.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eReviewed by Ted Witham TSSF\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Richard Frost, BRF author and blogger, May 2020\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘Shortly before his death, Francis looked at the brothers gathered around him. ‘I have done what is mine,’ he said. ‘May Christ teach you what is yours.’ So begins Helen Julian’s excellent book about the gift left for us by Francis and Clare of Assisi and many who have made their own footprints for people to follow: ‘The gift is the inspiration of their lives and writings, and the fellowship of their prayers,’ she writes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter outlining the origins and development of Franciscan religious communities, Helen Julian tells the stories of many significant individuals from the time of Francis and Clare right through to the present day. She introduces the readers to some of who come from the author’s own Anglican Franciscan community as well as historical figures, some canonised and others who are simply saints. ‘You could think of it as arriving at a party: I’m standing next to you and telling you about the people gathered in the room. Then you can decide who you’d like to get to know better,’ she writes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelen Julian covers first, second and third order Franciscan writers and thinkers, mystics and spiritual writers, social care and justice influencers, martyrs and pastors and those who the author describes as ‘witnessing by simply living’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn many respects, \u003cem\u003eFranciscan Footprints\u003c\/em\u003e is a book of stories and despite their variety and often inspirational nature, for this reviewer there were too many of them. But it’s not a book that needs to be read in one sitting nor in the order in which the chapters are presented. Each chapter ends with a thought-provoking suggestion for reflection which with careful selection could be used for small group discussion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn writing about the 13\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century Scottish Franciscan, Duns Scotus, Helen Julian writes in a way that sums up the whole book: ‘You may feel out of depth in their ideas. But I encourage you to at least paddle in the shallows of their thoughts: you may be surprised by what you discover.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComing in to the 21\u003csup\u003est\u003c\/sup\u003e century, here is a prayer by American friar Mychal Judge, who became the first officially recorded fatality in the Twins Towers attack on 11 September 2001 while helping others to escape:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLord, take me where you want me to go;\u003cbr\u003eLet me meet who you want me to meet;\u003cbr\u003eTell me what you want me to say;\u003cbr\u003eAnd keep me out of your way. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRichard Frost is the author of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/products\/life-with-st-benedict-the-rule-re-imagined-for-everyday-living\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eLife with St Benedict\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e and writes a blog at \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/workrestpray.com\/\"\u003eworkrestpray.com\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview of Franciscan Footprints by Rona Bure: Third Order, Society of St Francis, European Province website \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.tssf.org.uk\"\u003ewww.tssf.org.uk\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis small book covers a great deal of ground – not only in time but in the grouping of the various men and women into Anglican founders, thinkers and writers, mystics and spiritual writers; social care, social justice, martyrs, missionaries and preachers, pastors and simply living. This enables the reader to realise the depth and scope of what these Franciscans did in their lives. Indeed Helen Julian CSF quotes from St Clare as follows:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘She said that they had been called to be like mirrors, in which people could look and see Christ. A mirror doesn’t exist to be looked at for itself; its whole purpose is to reflect back accurately what is in front of it.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a challenge for all Franciscans throughout time and today. Can we be a Mirror to the World? This is a question which many of the people in this book have tried to answer. You too can try and answer the questions posed at the end of every chapter. This could be a very useful exercise in exploring your interest in Francis and Clare. The very different themes of the chapters will resonate in different ways to you depending on your particular view. I see much debate ensuing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am not a theologian and read simply to learn and explore to develop my understanding of what it is to be a Franciscan. There were many names in this book with which I was not familiar with and it widened my perspective and put others into context. In this time when challenges abound this book reminds us how important it is to be servants of our communities in every way. However this is not an easy task and I was heartened with the honest comment that Helen Julian makes in the book in that she throws at us a perspective that says we can fail but demonstrates as one door closes another opens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the end of the Chapter on Pastors Helen Julian writes:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘When that door opens and someone appears, I always send up a silent prayer, ‘Lord, let me listen with your ears and respond from your heart.’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is no doubt that the Franciscans in this book did so. Can we follow in the Footsteps? Read the book and ponder…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Rona Bure\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e"}
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Franciscan Footprints: Following Christ in the ways of Francis and Clare
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{"id":7381419393215,"title":"Get Messy! January- April 2023: Session material, news, stories and inspiration for the Messy Church community","handle":"get-messy-january-april-2023-session-material-news-stories-and-inspiration-for-the-messy-church-community","description":"\u003cp\u003eEach \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eissue contains four session outlines (one per month), including handout sheets, take-home ideas and a planning template, together with information on the latest resources and events. It also seeks to encourage and refresh Messy Church leaders by providing monthly Bible studies, inspirational articles and a problem page. Other features include a youth column and stories from Messy Churches around the world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eYou can also subscribe via email \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/collections\/messy-church\/products\/get-messy-subscription\"\u003ehere.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e","published_at":"2022-11-03T12:15:55+00:00","created_at":"2022-10-28T14:53:32+01:00","vendor":"Olivia Warburton","type":"Paperback","tags":["get messy archive","Jan-23","Messy Church","Messy Church books","PDF","subscription"],"price":485,"price_min":485,"price_max":485,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":42050937553087,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800391482","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":33533869228223,"product_id":7381419393215,"position":1,"created_at":"2022-10-28T15:10:29+01:00","updated_at":"2022-10-28T15:10:31+01:00","alt":null,"width":2480,"height":3508,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_Jan23.jpg?v=1666966231","variant_ids":[42050937553087,42050937585855]},"available":false,"name":"Get Messy! January- April 2023: Session material, news, stories and inspiration for the Messy Church community - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":485,"weight":117,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781800391482","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":26127038873791,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"width":2480,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_Jan23.jpg?v=1666966231"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":42050937585855,"title":"PDF","option1":"PDF","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800391932","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":33533869228223,"product_id":7381419393215,"position":1,"created_at":"2022-10-28T15:10:29+01:00","updated_at":"2022-10-28T15:10:31+01:00","alt":null,"width":2480,"height":3508,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_Jan23.jpg?v=1666966231","variant_ids":[42050937553087,42050937585855]},"available":true,"name":"Get Messy! January- April 2023: Session material, news, stories and inspiration for the Messy Church community - PDF","public_title":"PDF","options":["PDF"],"price":485,"weight":117,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781800391932","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":26127038873791,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"width":2480,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_Jan23.jpg?v=1666966231"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_Jan23.jpg?v=1666966231"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_Jan23.jpg?v=1666966231","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":26127038873791,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"width":2480,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_Jan23.jpg?v=1666966231"},"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_Jan23.jpg?v=1666966231","width":2480}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eEach \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eissue contains four session outlines (one per month), including handout sheets, take-home ideas and a planning template, together with information on the latest resources and events. It also seeks to encourage and refresh Messy Church leaders by providing monthly Bible studies, inspirational articles and a problem page. Other features include a youth column and stories from Messy Churches around the world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eYou can also subscribe via email \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/collections\/messy-church\/products\/get-messy-subscription\"\u003ehere.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e"}
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Get Messy! January- April 2023: Session material, news, stories and inspiration for the Messy Church community
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Each issue contains four session outlines (one per month), including handout sheets, take-home ideas and a planning template, together with information...
{"id":7030576283839,"title":"Get Messy! January-April 2022","handle":"get-messy-january-april-2022","description":"Each \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eissue contains four session outlines (one per month), including handout sheets, take-home ideas and a planning template, together with information on the latest resources and events. It also seeks to encourage and refresh Messy Church leaders by providing monthly Bible studies, inspirational articles and a problem page. Other features include a youth column and stories from Messy Churches around the world.\u003c\/span\u003e","published_at":"2021-11-08T10:50:14+00:00","created_at":"2021-10-20T17:03:22+01:00","vendor":"Lucy Moore and Olivia Warburton","type":"Paperback","tags":["get messy archive","Jan-22","PDF"],"price":475,"price_min":475,"price_max":475,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":41005346554047,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800390867","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":30846617583807,"product_id":7030576283839,"position":1,"created_at":"2021-11-11T13:48:21+00:00","updated_at":"2021-11-11T13:48:22+00:00","alt":null,"width":1000,"height":1415,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781800390867.jpg?v=1636638502","variant_ids":[41005346554047]},"available":false,"name":"Get Messy! January-April 2022 - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":475,"weight":117,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781800390867","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":23288320000191,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":1415,"width":1000,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781800390867.jpg?v=1636638502"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":40910974517439,"title":"PDF","option1":"PDF","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800391406","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":30847096914111,"product_id":7030576283839,"position":2,"created_at":"2021-11-11T14:45:37+00:00","updated_at":"2021-11-11T14:45:37+00:00","alt":null,"width":460,"height":650,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/MicrosoftTeams-image_2.jpg?v=1636641937","variant_ids":[40910974517439]},"available":true,"name":"Get Messy! January-April 2022 - PDF","public_title":"PDF","options":["PDF"],"price":475,"weight":117,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"978-1-80039-153-6","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":23288809783487,"position":2,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.708,"height":650,"width":460,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/MicrosoftTeams-image_2.jpg?v=1636641937"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781800390867.jpg?v=1636638502","\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/MicrosoftTeams-image_2.jpg?v=1636641937"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781800390867.jpg?v=1636638502","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":23288320000191,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":1415,"width":1000,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781800390867.jpg?v=1636638502"},"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":1415,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781800390867.jpg?v=1636638502","width":1000},{"alt":null,"id":23288809783487,"position":2,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.708,"height":650,"width":460,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/MicrosoftTeams-image_2.jpg?v=1636641937"},"aspect_ratio":0.708,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/MicrosoftTeams-image_2.jpg?v=1636641937","width":460}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"Each \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eissue contains four session outlines (one per month), including handout sheets, take-home ideas and a planning template, together with information on the latest resources and events. It also seeks to encourage and refresh Messy Church leaders by providing monthly Bible studies, inspirational articles and a problem page. Other features include a youth column and stories from Messy Churches around the world.\u003c\/span\u003e"}
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Get Messy! January-April 2022
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Each issue contains four session outlines (one per month), including handout sheets, take-home ideas and a planning template, together with information...
{"id":7166576263359,"title":"Get Messy! May - August 2022: Session material, news, stories and inspiration for the Messy Church community","handle":"get-messy-may-august-2022","description":"\u003cp\u003eEach \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eissue contains four session outlines (one per month), including handout sheets, take-home ideas and a planning template, together with information on the latest resources and events. It also seeks to encourage and refresh Messy Church leaders by providing monthly Bible studies, inspirational articles and a problem page. Other features include a youth column and stories from Messy Churches around the world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eYou can also subscribe via email \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/collections\/messy-church\/products\/get-messy-subscription\"\u003ehere.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e","published_at":"2022-02-15T11:41:11+00:00","created_at":"2022-02-15T11:25:12+00:00","vendor":"Lucy Moore and Olivia Warburton","type":"Paperback","tags":["get messy archive","May-22","PDF","subscription"],"price":485,"price_min":485,"price_max":485,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":41314358165695,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800391413","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":31664440180927,"product_id":7166576263359,"position":1,"created_at":"2022-02-15T11:27:11+00:00","updated_at":"2022-02-15T11:27:13+00:00","alt":null,"width":1000,"height":1415,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781800391413.jpg?v=1644924433","variant_ids":[41314358165695,41314358198463]},"available":false,"name":"Get Messy! May - August 2022: Session material, news, stories and inspiration for the Messy Church community - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":485,"weight":117,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781800391413","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":24140570427583,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":1415,"width":1000,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781800391413.jpg?v=1644924433"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":41314358198463,"title":"PDF","option1":"PDF","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800391420","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":31664440180927,"product_id":7166576263359,"position":1,"created_at":"2022-02-15T11:27:11+00:00","updated_at":"2022-02-15T11:27:13+00:00","alt":null,"width":1000,"height":1415,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781800391413.jpg?v=1644924433","variant_ids":[41314358165695,41314358198463]},"available":true,"name":"Get Messy! May - August 2022: Session material, news, stories and inspiration for the Messy Church community - PDF","public_title":"PDF","options":["PDF"],"price":485,"weight":117,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781800391413","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":24140570427583,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":1415,"width":1000,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781800391413.jpg?v=1644924433"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781800391413.jpg?v=1644924433"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781800391413.jpg?v=1644924433","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":24140570427583,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":1415,"width":1000,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781800391413.jpg?v=1644924433"},"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":1415,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9781800391413.jpg?v=1644924433","width":1000}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eEach \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eissue contains four session outlines (one per month), including handout sheets, take-home ideas and a planning template, together with information on the latest resources and events. It also seeks to encourage and refresh Messy Church leaders by providing monthly Bible studies, inspirational articles and a problem page. Other features include a youth column and stories from Messy Churches around the world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eYou can also subscribe via email \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/collections\/messy-church\/products\/get-messy-subscription\"\u003ehere.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e"}
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Get Messy! May - August 2022: Session material, news, stories and inspiration for the Messy Church community
£4.85
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{"id":7441909776575,"title":"Get Messy! May- August 2023: Session material, news, stories and inspiration for the Messy Church community","handle":"get-messy-may-august-2023-session-material-news-stories-and-inspiration-for-the-messy-church-community","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlease note this will be the final issue of Get Messy in this format\u003c\/strong\u003e. Each \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eissue contains four session outlines (one per month), including handout sheets, take-home ideas and a planning template, together with information on the latest resources and events. It also seeks to encourage and refresh Messy Church leaders by providing monthly Bible studies, inspirational articles and a problem page. Other features include a youth column and stories from Messy Churches around the world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFor further information on the NEW Get Messy! Volume 1 click \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca title=\"NEW Get Messy!\" href=\"brfonline.org.uk\/new-get-messy\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2023-02-16T10:26:40+00:00","created_at":"2023-02-07T16:31:29+00:00","vendor":"Olivia Warburton","type":"Paperback","tags":["get messy archive","may-23","Messy Church","Messy Church books","PDF","subscription"],"price":495,"price_min":495,"price_max":495,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":42215538557119,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800391758","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":34080683819199,"product_id":7441909776575,"position":1,"created_at":"2023-02-16T10:26:11+00:00","updated_at":"2023-02-16T10:26:13+00:00","alt":null,"width":2480,"height":3508,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_May23.jpg?v=1676543173","variant_ids":[42215538557119,42215538589887]},"available":false,"name":"Get Messy! 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May- August 2023: Session material, news, stories and inspiration for the Messy Church community - PDF","public_title":"PDF","options":["PDF"],"price":495,"weight":117,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781800391949","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":26691279356095,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"width":2480,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_May23.jpg?v=1676543173"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_May23.jpg?v=1676543173"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_May23.jpg?v=1676543173","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":26691279356095,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"width":2480,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_May23.jpg?v=1676543173"},"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_May23.jpg?v=1676543173","width":2480}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlease note this will be the final issue of Get Messy in this format\u003c\/strong\u003e. Each \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eissue contains four session outlines (one per month), including handout sheets, take-home ideas and a planning template, together with information on the latest resources and events. It also seeks to encourage and refresh Messy Church leaders by providing monthly Bible studies, inspirational articles and a problem page. Other features include a youth column and stories from Messy Churches around the world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFor further information on the NEW Get Messy! Volume 1 click \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca title=\"NEW Get Messy!\" href=\"brfonline.org.uk\/new-get-messy\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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Get Messy! May- August 2023: Session material, news, stories and inspiration for the Messy Church community
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{"id":7289762021567,"title":"Get Messy! September- December 2022: Session material, news, stories and inspiration for the Messy Church community","handle":"get-messy-sept-dec-2022-session-material-news-stories-and-inspiration-for-the-messy-church-community","description":"\u003cp\u003eEach \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eissue contains four session outlines (one per month), including handout sheets, take-home ideas and a planning template, together with information on the latest resources and events. It also seeks to encourage and refresh Messy Church leaders by providing monthly Bible studies, inspirational articles and a problem page. Other features include a youth column and stories from Messy Churches around the world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eYou can also subscribe via email \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/collections\/messy-church\/products\/get-messy-subscription\"\u003ehere.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e","published_at":"2022-07-12T11:42:17+01:00","created_at":"2022-07-05T09:53:36+01:00","vendor":"Olivia Warburton","type":"Paperback","tags":["get messy archive","May-22","PDF","subscription"],"price":485,"price_min":485,"price_max":485,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":41776960503999,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800391437","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":32816373432511,"product_id":7289762021567,"position":1,"created_at":"2022-07-07T10:34:38+01:00","updated_at":"2022-07-07T10:34:48+01:00","alt":null,"width":2480,"height":3508,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_Sep22.jpg?v=1657186488","variant_ids":[41776960503999]},"available":false,"name":"Get Messy! 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September- December 2022: Session material, news, stories and inspiration for the Messy Church community - PDF","public_title":"PDF","options":["PDF"],"price":485,"weight":117,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":null,"featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":25359723724991,"position":2,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.708,"height":650,"width":460,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/DOWN1437.jpg?v=1657186488"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_Sep22.jpg?v=1657186488","\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/DOWN1437.jpg?v=1657186488","\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Get_Messy_Sep22.jpg?v=1657186488"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_Sep22.jpg?v=1657186488","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":25381479088319,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"width":2480,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_Sep22.jpg?v=1657186488"},"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessy_Sep22.jpg?v=1657186488","width":2480},{"alt":null,"id":25359723724991,"position":2,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.708,"height":650,"width":460,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/DOWN1437.jpg?v=1657186488"},"aspect_ratio":0.708,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/DOWN1437.jpg?v=1657186488","width":460},{"alt":null,"id":25381464834239,"position":3,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"width":2480,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Get_Messy_Sep22.jpg?v=1657186488"},"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Get_Messy_Sep22.jpg?v=1657186488","width":2480}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eEach \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eissue contains four session outlines (one per month), including handout sheets, take-home ideas and a planning template, together with information on the latest resources and events. It also seeks to encourage and refresh Messy Church leaders by providing monthly Bible studies, inspirational articles and a problem page. Other features include a youth column and stories from Messy Churches around the world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eYou can also subscribe via email \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/collections\/messy-church\/products\/get-messy-subscription\"\u003ehere.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e"}
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Get Messy! September- December 2022: Session material, news, stories and inspiration for the Messy Church community
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{"id":7429133107391,"title":"Get Messy! Volume 1 - Intergenerational discipleship","handle":"get-messy-volume-1-intergenerational-discipleship","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEach issue contains twelve session outlines for Messy Churches, running through the year from September to August. Everything you need to run your Messy Church, including activity photos, mealtime cards, social action ideas and templates, all downloadable from the Messy Church website. With an introduction by Messy Church Ministry Team Lead, Aike Kennett-Brown.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/W_Lh5-_NGjA\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eVisit the \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca title=\"Messy Church\" href=\"https:\/\/www.messychurch.org.uk\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMessy Church\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e website\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAbout Messy Church\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMessy Church is a way of being church for families and others. It is Christ-centred, for all ages, based on creativity, hospitality and celebration.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2023-01-25T13:11:24+00:00","created_at":"2023-01-18T14:49:26+00:00","vendor":"Messy Church","type":"Paperback","tags":["Get Messy!","Messy Church","Messy Church books"],"price":1499,"price_min":1499,"price_max":1499,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":42202512392383,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800391802","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":34157087555775,"product_id":7429133107391,"position":1,"created_at":"2023-03-06T11:20:35+00:00","updated_at":"2023-03-06T11:20:37+00:00","alt":null,"width":2480,"height":3508,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessyVolume1_b43e247a-21a8-40b5-ae37-a389869dc3d6.jpg?v=1678101637","variant_ids":[42202512392383,42365881155775]},"available":true,"name":"Get Messy! Volume 1 - Intergenerational discipleship - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":1499,"weight":227,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781800391802","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":26769071669439,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"width":2480,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessyVolume1_b43e247a-21a8-40b5-ae37-a389869dc3d6.jpg?v=1678101637"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":42365881155775,"title":"PDF","option1":"PDF","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800391956","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":34157087555775,"product_id":7429133107391,"position":1,"created_at":"2023-03-06T11:20:35+00:00","updated_at":"2023-03-06T11:20:37+00:00","alt":null,"width":2480,"height":3508,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessyVolume1_b43e247a-21a8-40b5-ae37-a389869dc3d6.jpg?v=1678101637","variant_ids":[42202512392383,42365881155775]},"available":true,"name":"Get Messy! Volume 1 - Intergenerational discipleship - PDF","public_title":"PDF","options":["PDF"],"price":1499,"weight":227,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781800391956","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":26769071669439,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"width":2480,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessyVolume1_b43e247a-21a8-40b5-ae37-a389869dc3d6.jpg?v=1678101637"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessyVolume1_b43e247a-21a8-40b5-ae37-a389869dc3d6.jpg?v=1678101637"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessyVolume1_b43e247a-21a8-40b5-ae37-a389869dc3d6.jpg?v=1678101637","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":26769071669439,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"width":2480,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessyVolume1_b43e247a-21a8-40b5-ae37-a389869dc3d6.jpg?v=1678101637"},"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/GetMessyVolume1_b43e247a-21a8-40b5-ae37-a389869dc3d6.jpg?v=1678101637","width":2480}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEach issue contains twelve session outlines for Messy Churches, running through the year from September to August. Everything you need to run your Messy Church, including activity photos, mealtime cards, social action ideas and templates, all downloadable from the Messy Church website. With an introduction by Messy Church Ministry Team Lead, Aike Kennett-Brown.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/W_Lh5-_NGjA\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eVisit the \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca title=\"Messy Church\" href=\"https:\/\/www.messychurch.org.uk\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMessy Church\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e website\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAbout Messy Church\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMessy Church is a way of being church for families and others. It is Christ-centred, for all ages, based on creativity, hospitality and celebration.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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Get Messy! Volume 1 - Intergenerational discipleship
£14.99
Each issue contains twelve session outlines for Messy Churches, running through the year from September to August. Everything you need...
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It's a Secret","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800392502","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":34496440467647,"product_id":7433197125823,"position":1,"created_at":"2023-05-26T12:52:08+01:00","updated_at":"2023-05-26T12:52:09+01:00","alt":null,"width":460,"height":650,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SESS1956.jpg?v=1685101929","variant_ids":[42195262537919,42195262570687,42195262603455,42195262636223,42195262668991,42195262701759,42195262734527,42195262767295,42195262800063,42195262832831,42195262865599,42195262898367]},"available":true,"name":"Get Messy! Volume 1 - Intergenerational discipleship Individual Sessions - June - Shh! It's a Secret","public_title":"June - Shh! It's a Secret","options":["June - Shh! It's a Secret"],"price":199,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781800392502","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":27114549477567,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.708,"height":650,"width":460,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SESS1956.jpg?v=1685101929"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":42195262865599,"title":"July - The Olympics - Running the Race!","option1":"July - The Olympics - Running the Race!","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800392519","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":34496440467647,"product_id":7433197125823,"position":1,"created_at":"2023-05-26T12:52:08+01:00","updated_at":"2023-05-26T12:52:09+01:00","alt":null,"width":460,"height":650,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SESS1956.jpg?v=1685101929","variant_ids":[42195262537919,42195262570687,42195262603455,42195262636223,42195262668991,42195262701759,42195262734527,42195262767295,42195262800063,42195262832831,42195262865599,42195262898367]},"available":true,"name":"Get Messy! Volume 1 - Intergenerational discipleship Individual Sessions - July - The Olympics - Running the Race!","public_title":"July - The Olympics - Running the Race!","options":["July - The Olympics - Running the Race!"],"price":199,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781800392519","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":27114549477567,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.708,"height":650,"width":460,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SESS1956.jpg?v=1685101929"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":42195262898367,"title":"August - Rediscovering God in Creation","option1":"August - Rediscovering God in Creation","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800392526","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":34496440467647,"product_id":7433197125823,"position":1,"created_at":"2023-05-26T12:52:08+01:00","updated_at":"2023-05-26T12:52:09+01:00","alt":null,"width":460,"height":650,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SESS1956.jpg?v=1685101929","variant_ids":[42195262537919,42195262570687,42195262603455,42195262636223,42195262668991,42195262701759,42195262734527,42195262767295,42195262800063,42195262832831,42195262865599,42195262898367]},"available":true,"name":"Get Messy! Volume 1 - Intergenerational discipleship Individual Sessions - August - Rediscovering God in Creation","public_title":"August - Rediscovering God in Creation","options":["August - Rediscovering God in Creation"],"price":199,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781800392526","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":27114549477567,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.708,"height":650,"width":460,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SESS1956.jpg?v=1685101929"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SESS1956.jpg?v=1685101929"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SESS1956.jpg?v=1685101929","options":["Month"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":27114549477567,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.708,"height":650,"width":460,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SESS1956.jpg?v=1685101929"},"aspect_ratio":0.708,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SESS1956.jpg?v=1685101929","width":460}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEach issue contains twelve session outlines for Messy Churches, running through the year from September to August. Everything you need to run your Messy Church, including activity photos, mealtime cards, social action ideas and templates, all downloadable from the Messy Church website. With an introduction by Aike Kennett-Brown.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/W_Lh5-_NGjA\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVisit the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca title=\"Messy Church\" href=\"https:\/\/www.messychurch.org.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMessy Church\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewebsite\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAbout Messy Church \u003c\/h5\u003e\nMessy Church is a way of being church for families and others. It is Christ-centred, for all ages, based on creativity, hospitality and celebration."}
You may also like:
Get Messy! Volume 1 - Intergenerational discipleship Individual Sessions
£1.99
Each issue contains twelve session outlines for Messy Churches, running through the year from September to August. Everything you need...
{"id":7704534581439,"title":"Get Messy! Volume 2 - Christian basics made messy","handle":"get-messy-volume-2","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGet Messy! Volume 2 contains twelve session outlines for Messy Churches. This volume takes you through the basic themes of Christianity including: Who is God? Who is Jesus? Who is the Holy Spirit? (Pentecost). Other key Christian festivals include: Christmas – God entering the world as Jesus – and Easter – exploring Jesus’ last supper before his death and resurrection and why Christians celebrate communion. The material also covers God’s best ways of living, demonstrated through Jesus’ life; a challenge to follow Jesus and trust God with a new direction; and exploring following and belonging to Jesus through baptism.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e Other than the key Christian festivals Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, the sessions are standalone and can be done in any order. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMessy Churches who wish to dig deeper into discipleship between Messy Church gatherings might like to try a complementary resource, Messy Basics, a discipleship course exploring what Christians believe through faith-based conversations in all-age groups. Messy Basics is available as a download only.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7S-CllEPkeI?si=nQI2uK9F8eHeaurD\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor Info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-v-5a160260=\"\" class=\"row avoid-break\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-v-5a160260=\"\" class=\"col\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-v-5a160260=\"\" id=\"productCardContributors\" class=\"card\" date-options=\"[object Object]\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"card-body\"\u003e\n\u003cdl class=\"row\"\u003e\n\u003cdd class=\"col-sm-10\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAike leads the BRF Ministries Messy Church team, supporting the Messy Church network both nationally and internationally, through writing, speaking, training, developing resources and projects. Aike’s Messy Church journey started in 2010, as a volunteer leader, then a paid Messy Church pioneer in her local church, before taking up a regional role for Southwark Diocese in 2017. Currently she’s involved with a Messy Church Goes Wild in Greenwich, London.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/dd\u003e\n\u003c\/dl\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","published_at":"2024-04-02T12:12:36+01:00","created_at":"2024-04-02T12:12:36+01:00","vendor":"Aike Kennett-Brown","type":"Paperback","tags":["2024","Children and family ministry","Collective worship","Discipleship","For churches","Get Messy!","Messy Church","Messy Church books","New Titles"],"price":1699,"price_min":1699,"price_max":1699,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":43420906520767,"title":"Print","option1":"Print","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800392878","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":35961304613055,"product_id":7704534581439,"position":1,"created_at":"2024-04-29T17:24:14+01:00","updated_at":"2024-04-29T17:24:16+01:00","alt":null,"width":2480,"height":3508,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/GetMessy_Volume2.jpg?v=1714407856","variant_ids":[43420906520767,43420906553535]},"available":true,"name":"Get Messy! Volume 2 - Christian basics made messy - Print","public_title":"Print","options":["Print"],"price":1699,"weight":240,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781800392878","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":28729832603839,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"width":2480,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/GetMessy_Volume2.jpg?v=1714407856"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":43420906553535,"title":"PDF","option1":"PDF","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800392885","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":35961304613055,"product_id":7704534581439,"position":1,"created_at":"2024-04-29T17:24:14+01:00","updated_at":"2024-04-29T17:24:16+01:00","alt":null,"width":2480,"height":3508,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/GetMessy_Volume2.jpg?v=1714407856","variant_ids":[43420906520767,43420906553535]},"available":true,"name":"Get Messy! Volume 2 - Christian basics made messy - PDF","public_title":"PDF","options":["PDF"],"price":1699,"weight":240,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781800392885","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":28729832603839,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"width":2480,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/GetMessy_Volume2.jpg?v=1714407856"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/GetMessy_Volume2.jpg?v=1714407856"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/GetMessy_Volume2.jpg?v=1714407856","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":28729832603839,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"width":2480,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/GetMessy_Volume2.jpg?v=1714407856"},"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":3508,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/GetMessy_Volume2.jpg?v=1714407856","width":2480}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGet Messy! Volume 2 contains twelve session outlines for Messy Churches. This volume takes you through the basic themes of Christianity including: Who is God? Who is Jesus? Who is the Holy Spirit? (Pentecost). Other key Christian festivals include: Christmas – God entering the world as Jesus – and Easter – exploring Jesus’ last supper before his death and resurrection and why Christians celebrate communion. The material also covers God’s best ways of living, demonstrated through Jesus’ life; a challenge to follow Jesus and trust God with a new direction; and exploring following and belonging to Jesus through baptism.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e Other than the key Christian festivals Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, the sessions are standalone and can be done in any order. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMessy Churches who wish to dig deeper into discipleship between Messy Church gatherings might like to try a complementary resource, Messy Basics, a discipleship course exploring what Christians believe through faith-based conversations in all-age groups. Messy Basics is available as a download only.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7S-CllEPkeI?si=nQI2uK9F8eHeaurD\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor Info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-v-5a160260=\"\" class=\"row avoid-break\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-v-5a160260=\"\" class=\"col\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-v-5a160260=\"\" id=\"productCardContributors\" class=\"card\" date-options=\"[object Object]\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"card-body\"\u003e\n\u003cdl class=\"row\"\u003e\n\u003cdd class=\"col-sm-10\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAike leads the BRF Ministries Messy Church team, supporting the Messy Church network both nationally and internationally, through writing, speaking, training, developing resources and projects. Aike’s Messy Church journey started in 2010, as a volunteer leader, then a paid Messy Church pioneer in her local church, before taking up a regional role for Southwark Diocese in 2017. Currently she’s involved with a Messy Church Goes Wild in Greenwich, London.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/dd\u003e\n\u003c\/dl\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e"}
You may also like:
Get Messy! Volume 2 - Christian basics made messy
£16.99
Get Messy! Volume 2 contains twelve session outlines for Messy Churches. This volume takes you through the basic themes of...
{"id":7704609292479,"title":"Get Messy! Volume 2 - Christian basics made messy - Subscribe","handle":"get-messy-volume-2-christian-basics-made-messy-subscribe-save","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSUBSCRIBE to get Get Messy! Volume 2 via annual subscription. \u003c\/strong\u003eGet Messy! is an annual resource, packed full of everything you need to run your Messy Church. Each yearly volume will contain twelve sessions running from September to August. From activity photos and mealtimes cards to social action ideas and templates, we've got you and your Messy Church team covered! \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFREE P+P for UK only\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBenefits of Subscribing?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a subscriber you will receive communication from us during the renewal period, and renewal is automatic for direct debit customers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVisit the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.messychurch.org.uk\/\" title=\"Messy Church\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMessy Church\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e website\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAbout Messy Church \u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMessy Church is a way of being church for families and others. It is Christ-centred, for all ages, based on creativity, hospitality and celebration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor Info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"row avoid-break\" data-v-5a160260=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col\" data-v-5a160260=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"card\" id=\"productCardContributors\" data-v-5a160260=\"\" date-options=\"[object Object]\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"card-body\"\u003e\n\u003cdl class=\"row\"\u003e\n\u003cdd class=\"col-sm-10\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAike leads the BRF Ministries Messy Church team, supporting the Messy Church network both nationally and internationally, through writing, speaking, training, developing resources and projects. Aike’s Messy Church journey started in 2010, as a volunteer leader, then a paid Messy Church pioneer in her local church, before taking up a regional role for Southwark Diocese in 2017. Currently she’s involved with a Messy Church Goes Wild in Greenwich, London.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/dd\u003e\n\u003c\/dl\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","published_at":"2024-04-17T13:08:08+01:00","created_at":"2024-04-02T13:14:10+01:00","vendor":"Aike Kennett-Brown","type":"Paperback","tags":["Get Messy!","Messy Church","Messy Church books","New Titles","Subscriptions"],"price":1699,"price_min":1699,"price_max":2950,"available":true,"price_varies":true,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":43015434993855,"title":"UK","option1":"UK","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"GMVOL2SUB","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":35961308086463,"product_id":7704609292479,"position":1,"created_at":"2024-04-29T17:25:41+01:00","updated_at":"2024-04-29T17:25:43+01:00","alt":null,"width":1000,"height":1415,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SUBS2878.jpg?v=1714407943","variant_ids":[43015434993855,43015435026623,43015435059391,43015435092159]},"available":true,"name":"Get Messy! Volume 2 - Christian basics made messy - Subscribe - UK","public_title":"UK","options":["UK"],"price":1699,"weight":227,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"GMVOL2","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":28729838862527,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":1415,"width":1000,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SUBS2878.jpg?v=1714407943"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":43015435026623,"title":"EU","option1":"EU","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"GMVOL2EUSUB","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":35961308086463,"product_id":7704609292479,"position":1,"created_at":"2024-04-29T17:25:41+01:00","updated_at":"2024-04-29T17:25:43+01:00","alt":null,"width":1000,"height":1415,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SUBS2878.jpg?v=1714407943","variant_ids":[43015434993855,43015435026623,43015435059391,43015435092159]},"available":true,"name":"Get Messy! 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Volume 2 - Christian basics made messy - Subscribe - Rest of World","public_title":"Rest of World","options":["Rest of World"],"price":2950,"weight":227,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"GMVOL2ROW","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":28729838862527,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":1415,"width":1000,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SUBS2878.jpg?v=1714407943"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":43015435092159,"title":"PDF","option1":"PDF","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"GMVOL2PDFSUB","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":35961308086463,"product_id":7704609292479,"position":1,"created_at":"2024-04-29T17:25:41+01:00","updated_at":"2024-04-29T17:25:43+01:00","alt":null,"width":1000,"height":1415,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SUBS2878.jpg?v=1714407943","variant_ids":[43015434993855,43015435026623,43015435059391,43015435092159]},"available":true,"name":"Get Messy! Volume 2 - Christian basics made messy - Subscribe - PDF","public_title":"PDF","options":["PDF"],"price":1699,"weight":227,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"GMVOL2PDF","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":28729838862527,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":1415,"width":1000,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SUBS2878.jpg?v=1714407943"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SUBS2878.jpg?v=1714407943"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SUBS2878.jpg?v=1714407943","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":28729838862527,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":1415,"width":1000,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SUBS2878.jpg?v=1714407943"},"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":1415,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SUBS2878.jpg?v=1714407943","width":1000}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSUBSCRIBE to get Get Messy! Volume 2 via annual subscription. \u003c\/strong\u003eGet Messy! is an annual resource, packed full of everything you need to run your Messy Church. Each yearly volume will contain twelve sessions running from September to August. From activity photos and mealtimes cards to social action ideas and templates, we've got you and your Messy Church team covered! \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFREE P+P for UK only\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBenefits of Subscribing?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a subscriber you will receive communication from us during the renewal period, and renewal is automatic for direct debit customers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVisit the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.messychurch.org.uk\/\" title=\"Messy Church\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMessy Church\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e website\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAbout Messy Church \u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMessy Church is a way of being church for families and others. It is Christ-centred, for all ages, based on creativity, hospitality and celebration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor Info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"row avoid-break\" data-v-5a160260=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col\" data-v-5a160260=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"card\" id=\"productCardContributors\" data-v-5a160260=\"\" date-options=\"[object Object]\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"card-body\"\u003e\n\u003cdl class=\"row\"\u003e\n\u003cdd class=\"col-sm-10\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAike leads the BRF Ministries Messy Church team, supporting the Messy Church network both nationally and internationally, through writing, speaking, training, developing resources and projects. Aike’s Messy Church journey started in 2010, as a volunteer leader, then a paid Messy Church pioneer in her local church, before taking up a regional role for Southwark Diocese in 2017. Currently she’s involved with a Messy Church Goes Wild in Greenwich, London.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/dd\u003e\n\u003c\/dl\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e"}
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Get Messy! Volume 2 - Christian basics made messy - Subscribe
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SUBSCRIBE to get Get Messy! Volume 2 via annual subscription. Get Messy! is an annual resource, packed full of everything...
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A new direction","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781800392939","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":35961310019775,"product_id":7704564105407,"position":1,"created_at":"2024-04-29T17:26:10+01:00","updated_at":"2024-04-29T17:26:11+01:00","alt":null,"width":1000,"height":1415,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SESS2885.jpg?v=1714407971","variant_ids":[43014985547967,43014985580735,43014985613503,43014985646271,43014985679039,43014985711807,43014985744575,43014985777343,43014985810111,43014985842879,43014985875647,43014985908415]},"available":true,"name":"Get Messy! Volume 2 - Individual Sessions - August - Can I trust God? A new direction","public_title":"August - Can I trust God? A new direction","options":["August - Can I trust God? A new direction"],"price":299,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781800392939","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":28729842041023,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":1415,"width":1000,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SESS2885.jpg?v=1714407971"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SESS2885.jpg?v=1714407971"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SESS2885.jpg?v=1714407971","options":["Month"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":28729842041023,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":1415,"width":1000,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SESS2885.jpg?v=1714407971"},"aspect_ratio":0.707,"height":1415,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/files\/SESS2885.jpg?v=1714407971","width":1000}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEach issue contains twelve session outlines for Messy Churches, running through the year from September to August. Everything you need to run your Messy Church, including activity photos, mealtime cards, social action ideas and templates, all downloadable from the Messy Church website. With an introduction by Aike Kennett-Brown.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVisit the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.messychurch.org.uk\/\" title=\"Messy Church\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMessy Church\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewebsite\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAbout Messy Church \u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMessy Church is a way of being church for families and others. It is Christ-centred, for all ages, based on creativity, hospitality and celebration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor Info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAike leads the BRF Ministries Messy Church team, supporting the Messy Church network both nationally and internationally, through writing, speaking, training, developing resources and projects. Aike’s Messy Church journey started in 2010, as a volunteer leader, then a paid Messy Church pioneer in her local church, before taking up a regional role for Southwark Diocese in 2017. Currently she’s involved with a Messy Church Goes Wild in Greenwich, London.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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Get Messy! Volume 2 - Individual Sessions
£2.99
Each issue contains twelve session outlines for Messy Churches, running through the year from September to August. Everything you need...
{"id":2439795015780,"title":"God among the Ruins: Trust and transformation in difficult times","handle":"god-among-the-ruins-trust-and-transformation-in-difficult-times","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhere do we turn when our world is falling apart?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eIt takes courage to hope; to stand in our confusion and grief and still to believe that 'God is not helpless among the ruins'. Guided by Habakkuk and his prophetic landmarks, we are drawn on a reflective journey through the tangled landscape of bewildered faith, through places of wrestling and waiting, and on into the growth space of deepened trust and transformation. As you read, discover for yourself the value and practice of honest prayer, of surrender, of silence and listening, and of irrepressible hoping.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eContents\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntroduction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt's a long and winding road\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWounded ragings\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt wasn't meant to be like this\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDon't just do something, sit there!\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOf plastic bottles, empty tin cans and trust\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrom the back door to the barn door - and beyond\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat's in a name?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWalking with the wounded\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wonder of this book is its searing honesty. Through the lens of her own life-changing loss and learning from Habbakuk's journey through profound pain, Mags helps us see how we might come to trust the goodness of God amidst heart-rending devastation and chaos. This is gentle, biblically-rooted, and carefully crafted wisdom that faces difficult questions and emotions of suffering head on yet persists in seeking God amongst it all. This is wisdom that has been lived. I trust that many might discover this book.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Tracy Cotterell, London Institute for Contemporary Christianity \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn 9\/11 when I saw the Twin Towers in New York, one after the other, pancake to the ground in a deafening explosion of devastation and heart-wrenching tragedy, it was hard to imagine God among those ruins. When I walked beside a couple whose only child had died at 10 months on Thanksgiving Day, they found it hard to imagine a God among their ruins. When my own hopes and dreams collapsed after trying everything imaginable to keep them alive, I too struggled with finding God in the ruins. In this beautifully written book and with a careful study of Habakkuk, Duggan unfolds the story of her own journey through haunting loss to the transforming comfort of God. So if you have struggled with believing in a loving God when your own world collapses, this book will serve you well. It certainly guided and helped me. Dr.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e MaryKate Morse, professor, author and spiritual director \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf only I had had this book when I looked for help with my own experience of deep and all-pervading disappointment with God in 1983 and could find nothing written on the subject! An interaction with the words of the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk based on Mags's own devastation, it is totally authentic in declaring the pain each of them went through and the ways in which they related to God in and through it. It is totally practical as well in offering guidance through activities that help one to recognise one's own difficulties and bring them before God. And, through it all, no matter how horrible the circumstances and the experience, Emmanuel, the God who is with us. It is wonderful to have such a resource available to those who are going through pain and anger with God.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Dr Colin Bulley, Pioneers UK, Member Care Consultant, Spiritual Director \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was eagerly anticipating the release of 'God Among The Ruins', having sat under Mags Duggan's teaching on a number of occasions, and I was not disappointed. Although the book was birthed in the author's own journey of suffering, that does not become the main focus. Each chapter gently and compassionately brings the reader to God Himself through the faith journey of Habakkuk. Mags has not avoided the problems that suffering brings, nor has she offered trite answers where there are none. Rather she helps us learn to walk with the questions as we move towards God. The practical reflections suggested at the end of each chapter are so helpful for readers wanting to apply the truths they are encountering. So helpful. So good.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Valerie Murphy, Coordinator of Women's Bible Teaching Ministry, Crescent Church Belfast, Retreat Leader, Bible Teacher \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIncisively yet simply written, there are lessons for us all, not just those who have suffered grief or earthquake.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Revd Canon Dr Steve Davie, Principal of the Bradford Hub of the Leeds School of Ministry \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg height=\"384\" width=\"288\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/MagsinFergusFalls_480x480.jpg?v=1676493905\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMags Duggan has worked with the Navigators for 35 years, many of these as a cross-cultural missionary in East Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. More recently, she was on the faculty of Redcliffe College, Gloucester, where she lectured in two areas she is passionate about: Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. Currently, she is engaged in providing spiritual nurture and pastoral care to a diverse group of cross-cultural missionaries and ministry leaders, both here in the UK and around the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Reader, Winter 2018. Review by Howard Rowe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an honest and moving book, with a message for everyone who has struggled or suffered. It is based on the book of Habakkuk, whose short prophecy tells of the prophet's despair, questioning and wrestling with God, and emergence as a wiser, more peaceful person. Duggan tells her own story of despair, questioning, wrestling and her emergence as a wiser, more peaceful person. God Among the Ruins is honest and gently emotive. It is not intended to be a happy story, but it is a tremendously encouraging one. Duggan's chapter on 'Walking with the wounded' is particularly moving. The writing is warm and compelling. It could suit a home group as well as an individual. Each chapter contains simple but practical suggestions to help the reader put the message into practice. It is a book of hope, which nearly everyone would benefit from. I recommend it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Howard Rowe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e_____________________________________________________________________\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Baptist Times, August 2018. Reviewed by David Stuckey\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I was a lot younger my mum gave me her copy of God in The Slums written by Hugh Redwood in the 1930s. It was not an easy read for a young lad but I have revisited it several times in the intervening years and have come to appreciate its sincerity and its poignancy. It told of finding God's presence in unlikely places, in the midst of trial and tribulation, and at times it could be an achingly poignant read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have come across few accounts of loss and despair over the years to come close to Redwood's image of abiding faith - until now. Mags Duggan has similarly identified God's goodness and guidance in times of trial and torment. 'Trust and transformation in difficult times,' she suggests, as her opening reflection in God Among the Ruins repeats familiar words from Habakkuk: 'Even though ... even here ... Emmanuel'. At times when God seemed distant, when crops failed, when death and devastation abounded, Habakkuk was able to declare 'Yet I will rejoice'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMags gives her readers an achingly personal reflection of coming to terms with the death of her young niece from cancer, and those words she found which resonated with her in these circumstances came from another who clung to his faith in God in harrowing circumstances. The words of Eric Liddell, the Olympic runner and missionary who died in a Japanese prisoner of war camp came to her, 'sparking the hope of healing and new life,' she writes. Liddell had declared 'Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and God's plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book to savour, to dip into for comfort and support, to reflect on personal circumstances and to appreciate the rewards of faith and Christian support. And having unwrapped and dissected Habakkuk in many helpful and meaningful ways, the author then reveals that she too was diagnosed with breast cancer on the day she submitted the manuscript for publication.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book to make you weep and wonder, as it gives the reader fresh insight not only into living with cancer but also submitting one's life into the caring arms of the Almighty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDavid Stuckey is a journalist and member of Maghull Baptist Church, Merseyside\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Mike Treneer, International President Emeritus, The Navigators (8 March 2018)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are many reasons to commend Mags Duggan's beautifully written book 'God Among the Ruins'! I will mention just three:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis meditation on the Old Testament book of Habakkuk in the light of Mags' own experience of grief for her niece, powerfully brings Bible and life together in ways that help us to understand both.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMags combines profound insights into some of life's most challenging questions with simple practical suggestions for growing in our relationship with God through them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile Mags opens up her own process of grief, she helpfully illustrates and guides us in how we too can 'comfort others with the comfort we too have received from God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Mike Treneer, International President Emeritus, The Navigators.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e_____________________________________________________________________\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:23:29+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:23:31+00:00","vendor":"Mags Duggan","type":"Paperback","tags":["Anna Chaplaincy books","Feb-18","Kindle","Pastoral care","Recommended for Anna Chaplaincy","Torch Trust","Women"],"price":899,"price_min":899,"price_max":899,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769678848100,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857465757","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":7436832178276,"product_id":2439795015780,"position":1,"created_at":"2019-01-18T15:23:31+00:00","updated_at":"2019-02-01T17:45:39+00:00","alt":null,"width":427,"height":650,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465757-l.jpg?v=1549043139","variant_ids":[21769678848100]},"available":true,"name":"God among the Ruins: Trust and transformation in difficult times - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":899,"weight":162,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857465757","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":3238879527051,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"width":427,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465757-l.jpg?v=1549043139"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465757-l.jpg?v=1549043139"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465757-l.jpg?v=1549043139","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238879527051,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"width":427,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465757-l.jpg?v=1549043139"},"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857465757-l.jpg?v=1549043139","width":427}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhere do we turn when our world is falling apart?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eIt takes courage to hope; to stand in our confusion and grief and still to believe that 'God is not helpless among the ruins'. Guided by Habakkuk and his prophetic landmarks, we are drawn on a reflective journey through the tangled landscape of bewildered faith, through places of wrestling and waiting, and on into the growth space of deepened trust and transformation. As you read, discover for yourself the value and practice of honest prayer, of surrender, of silence and listening, and of irrepressible hoping.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eContents\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntroduction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt's a long and winding road\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWounded ragings\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt wasn't meant to be like this\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDon't just do something, sit there!\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOf plastic bottles, empty tin cans and trust\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrom the back door to the barn door - and beyond\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat's in a name?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWalking with the wounded\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wonder of this book is its searing honesty. Through the lens of her own life-changing loss and learning from Habbakuk's journey through profound pain, Mags helps us see how we might come to trust the goodness of God amidst heart-rending devastation and chaos. This is gentle, biblically-rooted, and carefully crafted wisdom that faces difficult questions and emotions of suffering head on yet persists in seeking God amongst it all. This is wisdom that has been lived. I trust that many might discover this book.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Tracy Cotterell, London Institute for Contemporary Christianity \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn 9\/11 when I saw the Twin Towers in New York, one after the other, pancake to the ground in a deafening explosion of devastation and heart-wrenching tragedy, it was hard to imagine God among those ruins. When I walked beside a couple whose only child had died at 10 months on Thanksgiving Day, they found it hard to imagine a God among their ruins. When my own hopes and dreams collapsed after trying everything imaginable to keep them alive, I too struggled with finding God in the ruins. In this beautifully written book and with a careful study of Habakkuk, Duggan unfolds the story of her own journey through haunting loss to the transforming comfort of God. So if you have struggled with believing in a loving God when your own world collapses, this book will serve you well. It certainly guided and helped me. Dr.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e MaryKate Morse, professor, author and spiritual director \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf only I had had this book when I looked for help with my own experience of deep and all-pervading disappointment with God in 1983 and could find nothing written on the subject! An interaction with the words of the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk based on Mags's own devastation, it is totally authentic in declaring the pain each of them went through and the ways in which they related to God in and through it. It is totally practical as well in offering guidance through activities that help one to recognise one's own difficulties and bring them before God. And, through it all, no matter how horrible the circumstances and the experience, Emmanuel, the God who is with us. It is wonderful to have such a resource available to those who are going through pain and anger with God.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Dr Colin Bulley, Pioneers UK, Member Care Consultant, Spiritual Director \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was eagerly anticipating the release of 'God Among The Ruins', having sat under Mags Duggan's teaching on a number of occasions, and I was not disappointed. Although the book was birthed in the author's own journey of suffering, that does not become the main focus. Each chapter gently and compassionately brings the reader to God Himself through the faith journey of Habakkuk. Mags has not avoided the problems that suffering brings, nor has she offered trite answers where there are none. Rather she helps us learn to walk with the questions as we move towards God. The practical reflections suggested at the end of each chapter are so helpful for readers wanting to apply the truths they are encountering. So helpful. So good.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Valerie Murphy, Coordinator of Women's Bible Teaching Ministry, Crescent Church Belfast, Retreat Leader, Bible Teacher \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIncisively yet simply written, there are lessons for us all, not just those who have suffered grief or earthquake.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Revd Canon Dr Steve Davie, Principal of the Bradford Hub of the Leeds School of Ministry \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg height=\"384\" width=\"288\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/MagsinFergusFalls_480x480.jpg?v=1676493905\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMags Duggan has worked with the Navigators for 35 years, many of these as a cross-cultural missionary in East Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. More recently, she was on the faculty of Redcliffe College, Gloucester, where she lectured in two areas she is passionate about: Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. Currently, she is engaged in providing spiritual nurture and pastoral care to a diverse group of cross-cultural missionaries and ministry leaders, both here in the UK and around the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Reader, Winter 2018. Review by Howard Rowe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an honest and moving book, with a message for everyone who has struggled or suffered. It is based on the book of Habakkuk, whose short prophecy tells of the prophet's despair, questioning and wrestling with God, and emergence as a wiser, more peaceful person. Duggan tells her own story of despair, questioning, wrestling and her emergence as a wiser, more peaceful person. God Among the Ruins is honest and gently emotive. It is not intended to be a happy story, but it is a tremendously encouraging one. Duggan's chapter on 'Walking with the wounded' is particularly moving. The writing is warm and compelling. It could suit a home group as well as an individual. Each chapter contains simple but practical suggestions to help the reader put the message into practice. It is a book of hope, which nearly everyone would benefit from. I recommend it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Howard Rowe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e_____________________________________________________________________\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Baptist Times, August 2018. Reviewed by David Stuckey\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I was a lot younger my mum gave me her copy of God in The Slums written by Hugh Redwood in the 1930s. It was not an easy read for a young lad but I have revisited it several times in the intervening years and have come to appreciate its sincerity and its poignancy. It told of finding God's presence in unlikely places, in the midst of trial and tribulation, and at times it could be an achingly poignant read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have come across few accounts of loss and despair over the years to come close to Redwood's image of abiding faith - until now. Mags Duggan has similarly identified God's goodness and guidance in times of trial and torment. 'Trust and transformation in difficult times,' she suggests, as her opening reflection in God Among the Ruins repeats familiar words from Habakkuk: 'Even though ... even here ... Emmanuel'. At times when God seemed distant, when crops failed, when death and devastation abounded, Habakkuk was able to declare 'Yet I will rejoice'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMags gives her readers an achingly personal reflection of coming to terms with the death of her young niece from cancer, and those words she found which resonated with her in these circumstances came from another who clung to his faith in God in harrowing circumstances. The words of Eric Liddell, the Olympic runner and missionary who died in a Japanese prisoner of war camp came to her, 'sparking the hope of healing and new life,' she writes. Liddell had declared 'Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and God's plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book to savour, to dip into for comfort and support, to reflect on personal circumstances and to appreciate the rewards of faith and Christian support. And having unwrapped and dissected Habakkuk in many helpful and meaningful ways, the author then reveals that she too was diagnosed with breast cancer on the day she submitted the manuscript for publication.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book to make you weep and wonder, as it gives the reader fresh insight not only into living with cancer but also submitting one's life into the caring arms of the Almighty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDavid Stuckey is a journalist and member of Maghull Baptist Church, Merseyside\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Mike Treneer, International President Emeritus, The Navigators (8 March 2018)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are many reasons to commend Mags Duggan's beautifully written book 'God Among the Ruins'! I will mention just three:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis meditation on the Old Testament book of Habakkuk in the light of Mags' own experience of grief for her niece, powerfully brings Bible and life together in ways that help us to understand both.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMags combines profound insights into some of life's most challenging questions with simple practical suggestions for growing in our relationship with God through them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile Mags opens up her own process of grief, she helpfully illustrates and guides us in how we too can 'comfort others with the comfort we too have received from God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Mike Treneer, International President Emeritus, The Navigators.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e_____________________________________________________________________\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e"}
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{"id":2920842592356,"title":"God of Violence Yesterday, God of Love Today? Wrestling honestly with the Old Testament","handle":"god-of-violence-yesterday-god-of-love-today-wrestling-honestly-with-the-old-testament","description":"\u003cp\u003eDo you find the violence in the Old Testament a problem?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDoes it get in the way of reading the Bible – and of faith itself?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile acknowledging that there are no easy answers, in \u003cem\u003eGod of Violence Yesterday, God of Love Today\u003c\/em\u003e?, Helen Paynter faces the tough questions head-on and offers a fresh, accessible approach to a significant issue. For all those seeking to engage with the Bible and gain confidence in the God it portrays, she provides tools for reading and interpreting biblical texts, and points to ways of dealing with the overall trajectories of violence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor Info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/HelenPaynterseriousface_480x480.jpg?v=1676497452\" width=\"284\" height=\"189\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing a first career in medicine, Helen Paynter is now a Baptist minister, Director of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence at Bristol Baptist College, and Editor of BRF’s Guidelines Bible reading notes. Helen is passionate about helping people to get to grips with the Bible because she has seen its power to transform lives. She loves to study it, preach it, teach it, and encourage others to study and understand it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaul Copan, Professor of Philosophy and Ethics at the Palm Beach Atlantic University, the author of 'Is God a Moral Monster?', and the co-author of 'Did God Really Command Genocide?'\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelen Paynter’s exploration of Old Testament ethical challenges is insightful, balanced and honest. I appreciate the fact that she does not deny divine severity while putting in perspective God's goodness. She admits that she is still wrestling and learning, as indeed I am. She humbly but boldly approaches an array of key topics and she writes with deep pastoral concern. Her treatment of the imprecatory psalms is particularly effective and illuminating. While I have a few quibbles here and there, I want to emphasize the spirit, the breadth, and the balance of this book. It sheds light on a complex and controversial subject, encouraging further conversation and deeper understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Rev'd Dr. Lissa M. Wray Beal, Professor of Old Testament, Chair, Seminary Bible and Theology Department, Providence University College and Theological Seminary\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eGod of Violence Yesterday, God of Love Today? Honestly wrestling with the Old Testament\u003c\/em\u003e, Helen Paynter tackles problematic texts of violence in the Old Testament. The questions Paynter asks are pressing ones today, and she sketches out the complex issues clearly but without undue oversimplification. Outlining valuable principles of interpretation and applying them in worked examples, the author’s candor and pastoral attentiveness invite readers into the conversation. The volume models Christian engagement with the biblical text and shows the value of \u003cem\u003ehonest wrestling\u003c\/em\u003e within the text’s own vision of \u003cem\u003eshalom\u003c\/em\u003e. Providing tools to think not only about specific texts of violence, but the biblical text more broadly, it is a welcome and compact initial resource for Christian laypeople troubled by biblical texts of violence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJohn Meredith Editor of Word \u0026amp; Worship, the publication of the NZ Lay Preachers Association\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn lucid prose Helen Paynter argues that violence featured in the biblical canon should not be ignored or denied but acknowledged and faced honestly. While history is played out in a broken and often violent world the author shows how the movement of scripture is toward God’s creative intention for healing and wholeness. Without providing final answers Paynter offers ways of interpreting even the most violent passages so that we may hear God’s word for today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eReviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Natalie Collins, gender justice specialist: see \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliecollins.info\/\"\u003ewww.nataliecollins.info\u003c\/a\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003eTweets as GodLovesWomen and wrote \u003cem\u003eOut of Control: Couples, Conflict and the Capacity for Change\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis relatively small book faces some massive theological questions about the nature of violence in the Old Testament. Exploring different types of violence in the Bible, including that against animals, and perhaps the most troubling, when it appears that God commands genocide, Helen Paynter expertly guides us through complex theological terrain and explains this complexity in down to earth and easily accessible ways. This book is ideal for someone with no\u003cbr\u003etheological training to begin exploring challenging elements of the Bible, with those with formal theological training also able to learn from her. Those in church leadership should read this book so they are able to recommend it to their congregations. While challenging, the book seems to be pitched to a conservative 'Bible believing' audience, which may jar with those who have a more liberal approach to Scripture, but overall it’s a great, engaging, manageably short book. As Helen says, she can’t wholly resolve the tensions of the most problematic texts, but she does give much food for thought and some\u003cbr\u003etools for Christians who want to more ably identify where God is in the text and what God is saying to us through it.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Natalie Collins\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTheology 2019, Vol 122(6). Review by Robin Gill\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelen Paynter is a Baptist minister and director of the new Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence at Bristol. This accessible and refreshingly honest paperback, published by The Bible Reading Fellowship is very welcome indeed. It examines carefully some of the most troublesome texts in the Old Testament and it does so in stages, as she explains:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'First, we will consider instances where violence is \u003cem\u003ede\u003c\/em\u003escribed, not \u003cem\u003epre\u003c\/em\u003escribed\u003cem\u003e. \u003c\/em\u003eNext we will look at places – mainly the psalms – where violence is implored: where the psalmist prays for vengeance. Third, we will consider the issue of violence against animals, particularly the flood story and the system of animal sacrifice. Fourth, we will look at the use of violence as divine judgement. And fifth, we will look at the knottiest problem of all: the texts where God appears to command people to be violent to one another. At the end of most of the chapters in this section I offer some more practical suggestions. How should we handle these texts in our churches – in our pulpits, our home groups, our Sunday schools? And then, in the final chapter, we will ‘zoom back out’ and take a look at the big picture of the bible.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is nothing particularly novel about any of this, but that is not the point. Her message needs to be heard in a context of widespread fear of religiously inspired violence. This small book and her new Centre make an excellent contribution to greater understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Robin Gill\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnabaptism Today Autumn 2019. Review by Alexandra Ellish\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany people from both within and outside of church communities are confused and uncomfortable with accounts of violence in the Scriptures, and the all too frequent appeal to biblical sources to justify modern-day warfare, military action and the ownership of weapons. In this helpful and accessible book, Helen Paynter seeks to address some of the questions and issues raised by texts containing violence in the Old Testament and considers how we might interpret and understand them today. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is divided into two sections. Part One sets out some essential foundations – reading the Bible as God’s word; defining and understanding violence within the ancient world; and some possible tools for interpretation. The second part of the book considers five types of violence, ranging with increasing complexity from: texts with descriptive versus prescriptive accounts of violence; texts imploring the use of violence; the sacrificial system and a consideration of the flood; violence as used in accounts of divine judgement; and finally texts in which God seems to be commanding violence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen reading violence contained in the psalms, the author notes the importance of paying attention to the psalmist’s use of language – particularly allegory and metaphor – to argue for a deeper reading of the texts. While there are psalms calling for God to punish enemies, this desire is usually held in tension with an acknowledgement of ultimate trust in God’s wisdom and sovereignty. Paynter suggests that psalms which implore God to use violence to exact vengeance on enemies or oppressors have cathartic value in the context of communal worship – that these psalms remind us that we can bring all of our experiences and humanity to God in worship. Paynter advocates using the imprecatory psalms in worship today by depersonalising the ‘enemies’ of God and people to include issues around ecological catastrophe, serious and debilitating illness, domestic violence and all things which result in death. As the church frequently draws on the psalms of joy and thanksgiving for times of celebration and praise, this encouragement takes seriously the possibility of expressing painful, difficult and angry feelings that we have, in the context of a community of faith which trusts that God is in charge and loves his people.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fourth chapter considers violence in divine judgement as a reminder of the nature of God as a just judge who is our friend and ‘brother’ but is also ‘unbearable’ in his holiness. Paynter discusses the positive aspects of the law of \u003cem\u003etalion\u003c\/em\u003e which, she argues, Jesus extends rather than repudiates. The penultimate chapter is devoted to texts where violence is explicitly commanded by God. This chapter covers the most difficult passages, where Paynter untangles the complexity of defining the word \u003cem\u003eḥerem\u003c\/em\u003e. This word is often translated as ‘utterly destroy’ or ‘devote to complete destruction’ but its meaning is somewhat veiled. Paynter suggests that \u003cem\u003eḥerem\u003c\/em\u003e ‘does not always involve killing or destroying’ but that ‘\u003cem\u003eḥerem\u003c\/em\u003e sometimes involves killing’ (p. 128). She states that she cannot offer a definitive answer to the questions surrounding conquest and apparent mass killing, but that the word \u003cem\u003eḥerem \u003c\/em\u003eis used for rhetorical and hyperbolic purposes to portray events in a particular way in the ancient world. Paynter’s honesty and humility in the recognition that her offering might be only partially satisfactory and her desire to continue to ‘nibble’ (p. 153) at the issue alongside others is immensely refreshing and rare! \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the final chapter, Paynter considers the arc of the biblical narrative and argues that the vision of God demonstrated throughout the Scriptures is for \u003cem\u003eshalom\u003c\/em\u003e for all of creation. While I was pleased to see the concept of \u003cem\u003eshalom\u003c\/em\u003e included in the book, I thought that more could have been made of this subject and how we might understand \u003cem\u003eshalom\u003c\/em\u003e in relation to violence in the Old Testament. Similarly, in an early chapter the centrality of the life and person of Jesus as a lens for interpretation is briefly mentioned but not elaborated. Since I come to the topic of violence with Anabaptist convictions, perhaps it is no surprise that I would have enjoyed a fuller consideration of these subjects earlier in the book, instead of waiting until the final chapter for a somewhat limited exploration of the concept of \u003cem\u003eshalom\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaynter assumes that the value of the image of the eating of the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden and the subsequent ‘fall’ is to explain the entry of death, competition and violence into the world. This understanding all too easily reduces Jesus to nothing more than a rescuer come to reverse the fall. I am not sure how helpful this is. \u003cem\u003eShalom\u003c\/em\u003e is the narrative arc of our Scriptures; Jesus who is the Christ is\/was, in my view, always going to be the incarnation of God on earth as a pattern for humanity. This impacts how we understand the crucifixion of Jesus, and I would have been interested to read more from Paynter on this issue. Particularly for our western Protestant tradition, which has largely abandoned other atonement theories to focus on the (arguably violent) theory of penal substitution, are there more appropriate ways of exploring and articulating the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ which fulfil rather than undermine a \u003cem\u003eshalom \u003c\/em\u003enarrative?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaynter is categorical in her rejection of the appropriation of violence from the Old Testament texts for today, and also touches very briefly on the inappropriate conflation of the historic nation of Israel and the modern state. More on this issue would have been instructive, particularly as many pro-Israel churches support the government and its policies of occupation in Palestine based on their understanding of texts from the Old Testament.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI found Paynter’s writing style clear and engaging. She uses interesting and relevant examples to illustrate the issues she is dealing with, often drawing on contemporary stories. It is clear that Paynter is passionate about the importance of the Old Testament for personal and corporate faith today, and she argues persuasively for and offers numerous practical suggestions for wrestling with the Scriptures communally and individually. Paynter also suggests a wide range of other books for the reader to delve more deeply into the issues she has raised. I look forward to further publications from Paynter as she continues to wrestle with the Bible, in search of fresh insight and understanding to inform our discipleship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Alexandra Ellish, London\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBaptist Ministers Journal. Review by Pieter J Lalleman\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is timely, courageous and good. I therefore strongly recommend it to you and your church members. Revd Dr Helen Paynter of Bristol Baptist College has tackled one of the hot issues of the moment, the violence in the Old Testament (OT). It’s unlikely that you have not been asked about this by someone within or outside your congregation; if not, you’ll get the question soon: ‘How can a loving God condone and even order so much violence?’ Paynter helps you to give a Bible-based answer. She does not follow the common escape routes of either denying that this is what the OT really says or ascribing the violence to human authors who had not quite understood God. Instead she listens attentively to what the OT really says.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is in two parts, the first of which is a general introduction to the Bible and how to read it well. Paynter explains that her approach will be biblical and Christocentric, and she defends the position of the OT within the Christian scriptures. As a potted hermeneutic this part of the book has a more general value. For example, readers learn about the various genres in the Bible and about the distinction between description and endorsement. Here we also find a useful chapter on what violence is.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the second part Paynter tackles the OT in concentric circles, beginning with the relatively simple texts in which violence is merely described. This is followed by texts in which violence is deplored, psalms which call upon God to use violence, texts about violence against animals and texts in which the use of violence is part of a divine judgement. Throughout her discussions are careful and helpful. Paynter’s response to the usual argument that the Canaanites deserved to be punished for their wickedness was a surprise to me; if you want to know what it is, buy and read the book! The final chapter, intended as a positive counterpart to the preceding misery, deals with God’s plan of \u003cem\u003eshalom\u003c\/em\u003e for his good creation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThroughout Paynter’s tone is humble. She is honest about her own struggles and about points where she is uncertain. She refers to the book of Joshua as something that ‘feels alien and disturbing’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the most part, the book is easy to read; at times it is almost basic, which means that it is largely right for many church members. At the end of the chapters there are summaries and the notes are tucked away as end-notes. Some may find it uncomfortable that Paynter describes the flood as a myth (94-95), but that should not distract anybody.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo it is a perfect book? No, because it contains some typos and there is no index of texts. Some elements of the discussion might still be complicated for ‘lay people’. I would also have liked to read a bit more about the character of God. But these minor quibbles are just that: minor quibbles. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Pieter J Lalleman\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePreach, issue 20, Autumn 2019. Review by Tom Wharin\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the third book I’ve read on the subject of violence in the Bible in the last couple of years and it is also the most helpful. \u003cem\u003eGod of Violence yesterday, God of Love Today? \u003c\/em\u003eHas a clear and helpful structure even if the title is a bit of a mouthful. Helen Paynter starts by laying out her unapologetically Christocentric hermeneutic (to which I also subscribe). She then works through the biblical texts containing violence, from the ones she regards as least troubling (violence implored by the writer) to the ones she considers most troubling (violence commanded by God).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book does contain plenty of literary and historical-critical arguments which won’t appeal to a wide popular audience but Helen Paynter is very readable. Theological concepts are well explained with reference to everyday events, familiar news and historical stories. In addition to her marshalling her own thoughts well, Helen Paynter draws on and explains some of the best arguments in John H. Walton \u0026amp; J. Harvey Walton’s and Greg Boyd’s books (among others) in a way that makes them more accessible to readers like me than the originals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs an apologia for violence in the Bible to twenty-first century western culture, the book as a whole feels like a pretty solid bridge two-thirds of the way across a cultural canyon. The reader is left with more construction to do on either cliff or both, and the author honestly acknowledges this as our work and hers in the introduction and conclusion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI will definitely be recommending this book to anyone from sixth form up who is serious about engaging with God’s word on this subject. The structure will make it easy to dip back into for sermon references and it will serve very well as an introduction to this area of apologetics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Tom Wharin\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethodist Recorder 16 August, 2019. Summer paperback roundup by Cavan Wood\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eGod of Violence Yesterday, God of Love Today?\u003c\/em\u003e the author Helen Paynter has tried to tackle one of the most difficult questions of biblical theology. Why is it that the God of the Old Testament seems to sanction war and what we might today call ethnic cleansing, while the God of the New Testament seems to be all about love? This simple stereotyping of the argument is well dealt with, giving us many ideas to reflect on. She does not come to easy answers, but you will feel considerably better informed. This is a book to read a couple of times and perhaps to share with a reading group to think through the many issues that it raises.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCavan Wood\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by David Ball, GOLD Project, July 2019\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis short book deals with one of the thorniest subjects for Christians who believe that God is love and at the same time believe that the Christian Scriptures in their totality are God’s word to us. Helen Paynter does not shy away from any of the challenges that passages of violence in the Scriptures, particularly the Old Testament, bring to a theology of God’s love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePart one introduces us to some key skills for interpreting the Old Testament. God’s goodness and the ultimate revelation of this in Jesus Christ sets the theological foundation by which we are to interpret the Scriptures. From this starting point, we are ably guided through what we do and what we don’t mean when we speak of the Bible as God’s Word to us. Here the indispensable place of the Old Testament for our Christian faith is emphasised. If we need a clear theological foundation to interpret the Bible responsibly, we also need a clear understanding of the issue we are dealing with. For this we are led through a careful discussion of the complexity of violence and how it manifests itself in society. This prepares us to look at the nature of the Old Testament and especially the challenge to understand the worldview of its writers and audience which is so often far removed from our own. Reading each passage of the Old Testament in the context of the big story of Scripture, understanding the type of literature that we are reading and wrestling with the meaning of the text are all key skills to hearing the message better. Another important reminder is to let different and apparently contradictory narratives or themes contribute to the big picture of how Scripture conveys a multi-layered voice on key issues such as human kingship. All of these skills prepare us to address the particular issue of violence and the Bible in more depth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePart two does precisely this. Here we engage with the texts of violence under five (increasingly problematic) headings: Violence described, Violence implored, Violence against animals, Violence as divine judgement, Violence commanded. In each of these chapters, a clear attempt is made to compare and contrast the biblical context with our own and to draw out the significance of texts for our own day. We are carefully guided through the different types of violence each of which demand a different response. For example, describing violence in both the Old Testament and our own day does not necessarily endorse it. On the contrary, it often gives a voice to victims who would otherwise be denied justice and a hearing. Imploring violence is better than actual violence and is not necessarily endorsed by the text either. As we are led into the more problematic aspects of violence in the Old Testament, we are necessarily introduced to more technical aspects of biblical interpretation. Nevertheless, these are explained clearly. While not everyone will agree with some of the readings of the Old Testament, what becomes clear is that it is possible to grapple with even the most difficult Old Testament texts and not lose our integrity as those who believe in a just and loving God revealed in the totality of our Scriptures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final chapter seeks to bring a resolution and explain that the trajectory of the biblical narrative is towards the biblical idea of shalom. Normally translated ‘peace’ the ‘core meaning relates to completeness or intactness and the range of meanings includes prosperity, welfare, good relationships, deliverance and health’ (p.157) It is a vision of this shalom that drives the narrative of the Bible forward from its beginning in Genesis to its conclusion in the New Testament book of Revelation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe skill of interpreting the Bible responsibly in today’s world is one that anyone can learn. It is not easy and involves a struggle, but, above all, this is the significance of this book. For, while it addresses the particularly thorny issue of violence, it does far more than this. It gives us a practical model of how to wrestle with difficult issues in the Bible and society, seeking to listen to each text within the big framework of Scripture and to understand how this relates to our own context. Through this process, we can learn the skills of hearing God’s voice for today even in the difficult parts of the Bible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by David Ball, GOLD Project\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReform July\/August 2019. Review by Catherine Ball\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a particularly apposite book for our current political situation. John Lennon wrote the song ‘Imagine’, longing for a peaceful world, assuming that religion is one of the main causes of conflict. It would be lovely to be able to say that Christian scriptures do not advocate violence, or that only the Old Testament shows God as angry and violent. The temptation is to avoid difficult and violent Bible passages. Yet, the Old Testament is an essential part of the Christian scriptures. Helen Paynter shows that it is too simplistic to separate the Old Testament from the New.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaynter acknowledges that violence is apparently directed and endorsed by God in Old Testament texts. In an intellectually rigorous and accessible way, Paynter wrestles with each text to show that in many cases, the violence may become more understandable, and in some cases may be fully explained. She shows that each story needs to be carefully read in the context of ancient Hebrew language and culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor example, Paynter compares the battle of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17 – in which David beheads Goliath – with Adam and Eve’s temptation by the serpent (Genesis 3). In both stories, there is a battle that will determine who has dominion and an evil force mocks God’s favoured. In the latter story, God curses the serpent and says that he will bruise the serpent’s head. God will have victory in the end. Though David – God’s chosen king, descended of Eve – is mocked by the giant who defies God, he is victorious. The pattern points to a greater king to come.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaynter warns of the need to be careful how these passages are taught to children, and how they are used in preaching. This is an exceedingly helpful book for anyone who wants to honestly teach and preach the scriptures for contemporary society, affirming God’s plan for peace in the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Catherine Ball, Minister of the Free Church, St Ives, and Fenstanton URC, Cambridgeshire.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProgressive Voices Issue 30,September 2019. Review by Ray Vincent\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelen is Director of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence at Bristol Baptist College and the new Editor of BRF’s \u003cem\u003eGuidelines \u003c\/em\u003eBible reading notes. She is well placed to write this very accessible book. She deals with the problem in a very straightforward, systematic way, beginning with the less difficult and moving on to the most difficult ones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst she considers the places in the Bible where violence is simply described as part of the story. Then she moves on to where suffering people pray for vengeance on their oppressors – a natural human reaction. Next, violence against animals, pointing out the huge cultural difference between the Bible’s world and ours. Then she tackles violence as divine judgement, and finally the most difficult problem, the places where God seems actually to command acts of violence against innocent people.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaynter approaches the problem humbly, freely acknowledging that she does not have the answers but is still wrestling with the questions. However, it seems to me that her perception of the violence as a ‘problem’ comes from her relatively conservative view of the Bible as the Word of God. While acknowledging the humanity of the Bible and reading it in the light of critical scholarship, she seems nevertheless to be trying to justify everything it says, and hesitates to say that parts of it may be simply mistaken.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI suspect that the way in which most of us perceive the Bible means that we do not see the violence in it as a ‘problem’ in this kind of way. At the same time, this book is clear, honest and admirably arranged. It is well worth using as a basis for discussion in churches. Some Progressive Christian Network groups too might find it useful. It is informative, reminding us of parts of the Bible we sometimes neglect, and it is thought-provoking and sometimes challenging.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Ray Vincent\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by David Mitchell, Pastor, Woodlands Church, Bristol. May 2019\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelen has written a book on one of the most difficult questions Christians face. In it she has managed to be both accessible, compassionate and scholarly as she navigates the tension between a high view of scripture and yet its depiction of God’s apparent actions and decrees in ways which offend our most basic instincts of what is good and loving.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe begins with a really helpful guide to reading the bible well whatever (and wherever) the biblical text is addressing, which I would commend to any serious reader of the bible, especially those coming to it fresh. She goes on to deal specifically with the issues of violence, not just to people; animals are included. She gives really helpful cultural context to hard passages without ducking some of the difficulties and ambiguities that remain even for her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe invites us foundationally to see Jesus as God’s last word on the issue of violence and to read the Old Testament not just as a foundation for the revelation of Jesus but as sacred texts which He provides the ultimate guide to understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Andy Goodliff, May 2019\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelen Paynter is a Baptist minister and Old Testament scholar based at Bristol Baptist College. This is her second book. Her first, a version of her PhD, was Reduced Laughter, looking at how to read the books of 1 \u0026amp; 2 Kings. This second book, written for a broad audience, engages with the thorn of subjects violence in the Old Testament. It arrives at the same time as the work of the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.bristol-baptist.ac.uk\/study-centres\/csbv\/\"\u003eCentre for the Study of the Bible and Violence\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(CSBV) begins, of which Paynter is the Director. The book comes in two parts. The first establishes some 'foundations' — reading the Bible as God's word, how to read the Bible well and what is meant or encompassed by the word 'violence.' The chapter in reading the Bible well is especially helpful in offering some important lessons. The second half of the book seeks through 5 chapters to engage with the most serious of questions around the Old Testament and violence. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese 5 chapters make a series of important points. When violence is described, it is not always (often?) being endorsed. An example is given in the story of Samson. Paynter provides a different way of reading the book of Judges that pays attention to how the book is narrated. When violence is implored, as is the case of a good number of Psalms, there is a cry for justice and handing over of that desire for vengeance to God. Violence against animals is not as wanton as might be supposed. Paynter offers some helpful readings of the story of the flood in Genesis 6-9 and the place of sacrifices within Israel's worship. The fourth and fifth chapters explore violence as divine judgement and violence as commanded (e.g. the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eherem\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003epassages in Joshua). These questions are more difficult to address, and Paynter acknowledges, that this is not her last word on them, but almost a first foray into these questions, in conversation with wider scholarship. She takes us carefully through the importance of justice, the meaning of the law of talion (eye for an eye), a reading of the death of Uzzah (2 Sam 6) and in the latter chapter the meaning of the word\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eherem\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA final chapter suggests that God's great plan in the Old Testament is shalom (peace) and we read it with trajectory in mind. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an excellent book, which wears its scholarship lightly. Paynter has a great way of explaining and the book is an easy read, although exploring difficult questions. The book seeks as its subtitle suggests to 'wrestle honestly' with the violence found in the Old Testament. It doesn't have, and doesn't promise, a magic solution, but does show that a surface level reading will miss or overlook at more subtle ways the Bible describes and responds to violence. I look forward to future explorations that I'm sure will be forthcoming from Paynter and the CSBV that will continue to reach a broad audience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Andy Goodliff. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/andygoodliff.typepad.com\/my_weblog\/2019\/05\/helen-paynter-god-of-violence-yesterday-god-of-love-today-brf-2019.html\" title=\"Andy Goodliff on God of Violence Yesterday, God of Love Today?\"\u003eClick \u003c\/a\u003ehere for blog.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Peter King, Diocese of Chichester\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver the past few years I have become increasingly troubled by the violence in the Bible. Although this is a subject we don’t often talk about in our churches, I know from a number of informal conversations that many churchgoers (and others) have questions they would like to explore on these issues.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished to coincide with June’s inaugural events of Bristol College’s Centre for the Study of Bible \u0026amp; Violence, Helen Paynter’s new book offers a rigorous yet accessible exploration of Old Testament violence ideal for individuals or groups wishing to engage with these troubling texts and the issues they raise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is divided into two parts. The first part offers valuable groundwork on the nature of the Bible and the nature of violence, and concludes with some very helpful suggestions on 'Reading the Bible well'. It is good to be reminded that the reason that texts of violence disturb us is because of our core belief that God is good. It is important, too, to be made aware that just because the Bible describes violence this does not necessarily mean that it commends it. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second part identifies a range of types of violent text, and discusses these in ascending order of importance from what is termed 'Violence described' through 'Violence implored' and 'Violence against animals' (sacrifice) to 'Violence as divine judgement and what is the standout case for most people Violence commanded. I found this a very helpful way of classifying the different examples of violence in the OT. Each chapter concludes with some thoughts on how the type of texts under discussion might be read and used in churches today. Here I was particularly struck by what the author sees as the pastoral implications of ignoring the texts of 'Violence described'. By ignoring these stories of interpersonal and sexual violence we risk silencing those for whom they are a reality in their lives today. Yes, indeed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book concludes with a chapter entitled 'Shalom: God’s great plan', which puts the violent texts in the context of what is arguably an even more significant OT theme.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe author herself acknowledges at the end of the chapter on 'Violence commanded' that 'there might be more to say' on these most troubling of all the texts of violence. Not everyone will agree with the suggested interpretation, but I hope that all will agree on the important suggestions for reading them 'with ethical integrity' both in our churches and beyond. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone interested in the questions it explores. If you are new to the subject, it offers a comprehensive introduction and the reassurance that you are being guided by a capable and safe pair of hands as you begin to engage with challenging and important issues. If, like me, you are familiar with some of the literature on the subject, reading it will surely bring new insights and ideas. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePeter King trained at Bristol Baptist College and now works for the Anglican Diocese of Chichester in adult theological education.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWord \u0026amp; Worship, journal of the New Zealand Lay Preachers Association, Winter 2019 (June). Review by John Meredith\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelen Paynter addresses the question of biblical violence honestly and without proposing any final answer. She is clear that what is in the scriptures should be neither hidden nor denied and that the Old Testament God of judgement should not be contrasted with the New Testament God of grace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaynter recognises that while violence may be deliberately aggressive it may also find expression through oppressive social structures. Colonisation and cultural devaluation are examples of this. Violence may also be associated with polarising rhetoric. We need think only of the ‘war on terror’ against nations defined as evil. We should not think that violence may be consigned to savage antiquity from which we have moved on. It is still possible to think that with bombs, rather than swords, we are doing God’s will.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs we consider episodes of violence in the Bible, Paynter invites readers to reflect on the narrators’ purposes. For example, in Judges 19 we find the gang rape and murder of a concubine. This is deeply shocking, but also draws attention to the appalling consequences for a defenceless woman in a society without law or leadership. Although part of the biblical text, such stories are not usually read in public worship, yet the airing of such stories may allow women who have experienced sexual violence to feel heard and present opportunities for pastoral care.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBiblical writers recognise the reality of emotions such as anger and desire for revenge arising within the human heart. But rather than being encouraged to give reign to free expression of such emotions we are invited to leave vengeance to God who is just and merciful. The concept of ‘an eye for an eye’ should, Paynter believes, be understood as defining the limitation of personal vengeance, a limitation which Jesus extends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eModern sensitivities may cause us to shudder at the conquest of Canaan recorded in the book of Joshua where slaughter seems to be commanded by God. Rather than a literal record of history Paynter suggests the story may be understood as a type of biblical literature dealing with God bringing order out of chaos and affirming the identity of Israel as God’s covenant people. This does not mean, however, that it can be used to support modern Israel’s actions towards Palestine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the Hebrew mind God was awesome in holiness with power to create and to destroy. The stories of creation are placed at the beginning of the Old Testament as affirmation of God’s perfect design and intention for universal shalom\/ wholeness. History is played out in a broken and often violent world, but the law and the prophets point to God’s creative intention for healing and wholeness and this is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is not for us to edit from the Bible what offends us. We must learn to read with understanding. Helen Paynter writes clearly and makes a major contribution to informed reading so that we may hear and interpret God’s word for today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eJohn Meredith was ordained in the Methodist Church of New Zealand and has completed post-graduate study at Spurgeon’s College, London. John has served in pastoral roles in New Zealand and Western Australia. He is currently editor of Word \u0026amp; Worship, the publication of the NZ Lay Preachers Association and reviews books on theological and biblical themes.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2019-02-27T11:27:42+00:00","created_at":"2019-02-27T11:31:44+00:00","vendor":"Helen Paynter","type":"Paperback","tags":["Biblical engagement","Kindle","May-19"],"price":999,"price_min":999,"price_max":999,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":24703390875748,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857466396","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"God of Violence Yesterday, God of Love Today? Wrestling honestly with the Old Testament","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":999,"weight":186,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857466396","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466396-l.jpg?v=1551267108"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466396-l.jpg?v=1551267108","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3260489498763,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"width":427,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466396-l.jpg?v=1551267108"},"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857466396-l.jpg?v=1551267108","width":427}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eDo you find the violence in the Old Testament a problem?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDoes it get in the way of reading the Bible – and of faith itself?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile acknowledging that there are no easy answers, in \u003cem\u003eGod of Violence Yesterday, God of Love Today\u003c\/em\u003e?, Helen Paynter faces the tough questions head-on and offers a fresh, accessible approach to a significant issue. For all those seeking to engage with the Bible and gain confidence in the God it portrays, she provides tools for reading and interpreting biblical texts, and points to ways of dealing with the overall trajectories of violence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor Info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/HelenPaynterseriousface_480x480.jpg?v=1676497452\" width=\"284\" height=\"189\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing a first career in medicine, Helen Paynter is now a Baptist minister, Director of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence at Bristol Baptist College, and Editor of BRF’s Guidelines Bible reading notes. Helen is passionate about helping people to get to grips with the Bible because she has seen its power to transform lives. She loves to study it, preach it, teach it, and encourage others to study and understand it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaul Copan, Professor of Philosophy and Ethics at the Palm Beach Atlantic University, the author of 'Is God a Moral Monster?', and the co-author of 'Did God Really Command Genocide?'\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelen Paynter’s exploration of Old Testament ethical challenges is insightful, balanced and honest. I appreciate the fact that she does not deny divine severity while putting in perspective God's goodness. She admits that she is still wrestling and learning, as indeed I am. She humbly but boldly approaches an array of key topics and she writes with deep pastoral concern. Her treatment of the imprecatory psalms is particularly effective and illuminating. While I have a few quibbles here and there, I want to emphasize the spirit, the breadth, and the balance of this book. It sheds light on a complex and controversial subject, encouraging further conversation and deeper understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Rev'd Dr. Lissa M. Wray Beal, Professor of Old Testament, Chair, Seminary Bible and Theology Department, Providence University College and Theological Seminary\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eGod of Violence Yesterday, God of Love Today? Honestly wrestling with the Old Testament\u003c\/em\u003e, Helen Paynter tackles problematic texts of violence in the Old Testament. The questions Paynter asks are pressing ones today, and she sketches out the complex issues clearly but without undue oversimplification. Outlining valuable principles of interpretation and applying them in worked examples, the author’s candor and pastoral attentiveness invite readers into the conversation. The volume models Christian engagement with the biblical text and shows the value of \u003cem\u003ehonest wrestling\u003c\/em\u003e within the text’s own vision of \u003cem\u003eshalom\u003c\/em\u003e. Providing tools to think not only about specific texts of violence, but the biblical text more broadly, it is a welcome and compact initial resource for Christian laypeople troubled by biblical texts of violence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJohn Meredith Editor of Word \u0026amp; Worship, the publication of the NZ Lay Preachers Association\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn lucid prose Helen Paynter argues that violence featured in the biblical canon should not be ignored or denied but acknowledged and faced honestly. While history is played out in a broken and often violent world the author shows how the movement of scripture is toward God’s creative intention for healing and wholeness. Without providing final answers Paynter offers ways of interpreting even the most violent passages so that we may hear God’s word for today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eReviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviewed by Natalie Collins, gender justice specialist: see \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliecollins.info\/\"\u003ewww.nataliecollins.info\u003c\/a\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003eTweets as GodLovesWomen and wrote \u003cem\u003eOut of Control: Couples, Conflict and the Capacity for Change\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis relatively small book faces some massive theological questions about the nature of violence in the Old Testament. Exploring different types of violence in the Bible, including that against animals, and perhaps the most troubling, when it appears that God commands genocide, Helen Paynter expertly guides us through complex theological terrain and explains this complexity in down to earth and easily accessible ways. This book is ideal for someone with no\u003cbr\u003etheological training to begin exploring challenging elements of the Bible, with those with formal theological training also able to learn from her. Those in church leadership should read this book so they are able to recommend it to their congregations. While challenging, the book seems to be pitched to a conservative 'Bible believing' audience, which may jar with those who have a more liberal approach to Scripture, but overall it’s a great, engaging, manageably short book. As Helen says, she can’t wholly resolve the tensions of the most problematic texts, but she does give much food for thought and some\u003cbr\u003etools for Christians who want to more ably identify where God is in the text and what God is saying to us through it.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Natalie Collins\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTheology 2019, Vol 122(6). Review by Robin Gill\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelen Paynter is a Baptist minister and director of the new Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence at Bristol. This accessible and refreshingly honest paperback, published by The Bible Reading Fellowship is very welcome indeed. It examines carefully some of the most troublesome texts in the Old Testament and it does so in stages, as she explains:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'First, we will consider instances where violence is \u003cem\u003ede\u003c\/em\u003escribed, not \u003cem\u003epre\u003c\/em\u003escribed\u003cem\u003e. \u003c\/em\u003eNext we will look at places – mainly the psalms – where violence is implored: where the psalmist prays for vengeance. Third, we will consider the issue of violence against animals, particularly the flood story and the system of animal sacrifice. Fourth, we will look at the use of violence as divine judgement. And fifth, we will look at the knottiest problem of all: the texts where God appears to command people to be violent to one another. At the end of most of the chapters in this section I offer some more practical suggestions. How should we handle these texts in our churches – in our pulpits, our home groups, our Sunday schools? And then, in the final chapter, we will ‘zoom back out’ and take a look at the big picture of the bible.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is nothing particularly novel about any of this, but that is not the point. Her message needs to be heard in a context of widespread fear of religiously inspired violence. This small book and her new Centre make an excellent contribution to greater understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Robin Gill\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnabaptism Today Autumn 2019. Review by Alexandra Ellish\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany people from both within and outside of church communities are confused and uncomfortable with accounts of violence in the Scriptures, and the all too frequent appeal to biblical sources to justify modern-day warfare, military action and the ownership of weapons. In this helpful and accessible book, Helen Paynter seeks to address some of the questions and issues raised by texts containing violence in the Old Testament and considers how we might interpret and understand them today. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is divided into two sections. Part One sets out some essential foundations – reading the Bible as God’s word; defining and understanding violence within the ancient world; and some possible tools for interpretation. The second part of the book considers five types of violence, ranging with increasing complexity from: texts with descriptive versus prescriptive accounts of violence; texts imploring the use of violence; the sacrificial system and a consideration of the flood; violence as used in accounts of divine judgement; and finally texts in which God seems to be commanding violence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen reading violence contained in the psalms, the author notes the importance of paying attention to the psalmist’s use of language – particularly allegory and metaphor – to argue for a deeper reading of the texts. While there are psalms calling for God to punish enemies, this desire is usually held in tension with an acknowledgement of ultimate trust in God’s wisdom and sovereignty. Paynter suggests that psalms which implore God to use violence to exact vengeance on enemies or oppressors have cathartic value in the context of communal worship – that these psalms remind us that we can bring all of our experiences and humanity to God in worship. Paynter advocates using the imprecatory psalms in worship today by depersonalising the ‘enemies’ of God and people to include issues around ecological catastrophe, serious and debilitating illness, domestic violence and all things which result in death. As the church frequently draws on the psalms of joy and thanksgiving for times of celebration and praise, this encouragement takes seriously the possibility of expressing painful, difficult and angry feelings that we have, in the context of a community of faith which trusts that God is in charge and loves his people.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fourth chapter considers violence in divine judgement as a reminder of the nature of God as a just judge who is our friend and ‘brother’ but is also ‘unbearable’ in his holiness. Paynter discusses the positive aspects of the law of \u003cem\u003etalion\u003c\/em\u003e which, she argues, Jesus extends rather than repudiates. The penultimate chapter is devoted to texts where violence is explicitly commanded by God. This chapter covers the most difficult passages, where Paynter untangles the complexity of defining the word \u003cem\u003eḥerem\u003c\/em\u003e. This word is often translated as ‘utterly destroy’ or ‘devote to complete destruction’ but its meaning is somewhat veiled. Paynter suggests that \u003cem\u003eḥerem\u003c\/em\u003e ‘does not always involve killing or destroying’ but that ‘\u003cem\u003eḥerem\u003c\/em\u003e sometimes involves killing’ (p. 128). She states that she cannot offer a definitive answer to the questions surrounding conquest and apparent mass killing, but that the word \u003cem\u003eḥerem \u003c\/em\u003eis used for rhetorical and hyperbolic purposes to portray events in a particular way in the ancient world. Paynter’s honesty and humility in the recognition that her offering might be only partially satisfactory and her desire to continue to ‘nibble’ (p. 153) at the issue alongside others is immensely refreshing and rare! \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the final chapter, Paynter considers the arc of the biblical narrative and argues that the vision of God demonstrated throughout the Scriptures is for \u003cem\u003eshalom\u003c\/em\u003e for all of creation. While I was pleased to see the concept of \u003cem\u003eshalom\u003c\/em\u003e included in the book, I thought that more could have been made of this subject and how we might understand \u003cem\u003eshalom\u003c\/em\u003e in relation to violence in the Old Testament. Similarly, in an early chapter the centrality of the life and person of Jesus as a lens for interpretation is briefly mentioned but not elaborated. Since I come to the topic of violence with Anabaptist convictions, perhaps it is no surprise that I would have enjoyed a fuller consideration of these subjects earlier in the book, instead of waiting until the final chapter for a somewhat limited exploration of the concept of \u003cem\u003eshalom\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaynter assumes that the value of the image of the eating of the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden and the subsequent ‘fall’ is to explain the entry of death, competition and violence into the world. This understanding all too easily reduces Jesus to nothing more than a rescuer come to reverse the fall. I am not sure how helpful this is. \u003cem\u003eShalom\u003c\/em\u003e is the narrative arc of our Scriptures; Jesus who is the Christ is\/was, in my view, always going to be the incarnation of God on earth as a pattern for humanity. This impacts how we understand the crucifixion of Jesus, and I would have been interested to read more from Paynter on this issue. Particularly for our western Protestant tradition, which has largely abandoned other atonement theories to focus on the (arguably violent) theory of penal substitution, are there more appropriate ways of exploring and articulating the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ which fulfil rather than undermine a \u003cem\u003eshalom \u003c\/em\u003enarrative?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaynter is categorical in her rejection of the appropriation of violence from the Old Testament texts for today, and also touches very briefly on the inappropriate conflation of the historic nation of Israel and the modern state. More on this issue would have been instructive, particularly as many pro-Israel churches support the government and its policies of occupation in Palestine based on their understanding of texts from the Old Testament.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI found Paynter’s writing style clear and engaging. She uses interesting and relevant examples to illustrate the issues she is dealing with, often drawing on contemporary stories. It is clear that Paynter is passionate about the importance of the Old Testament for personal and corporate faith today, and she argues persuasively for and offers numerous practical suggestions for wrestling with the Scriptures communally and individually. Paynter also suggests a wide range of other books for the reader to delve more deeply into the issues she has raised. I look forward to further publications from Paynter as she continues to wrestle with the Bible, in search of fresh insight and understanding to inform our discipleship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Alexandra Ellish, London\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBaptist Ministers Journal. Review by Pieter J Lalleman\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is timely, courageous and good. I therefore strongly recommend it to you and your church members. Revd Dr Helen Paynter of Bristol Baptist College has tackled one of the hot issues of the moment, the violence in the Old Testament (OT). It’s unlikely that you have not been asked about this by someone within or outside your congregation; if not, you’ll get the question soon: ‘How can a loving God condone and even order so much violence?’ Paynter helps you to give a Bible-based answer. She does not follow the common escape routes of either denying that this is what the OT really says or ascribing the violence to human authors who had not quite understood God. Instead she listens attentively to what the OT really says.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is in two parts, the first of which is a general introduction to the Bible and how to read it well. Paynter explains that her approach will be biblical and Christocentric, and she defends the position of the OT within the Christian scriptures. As a potted hermeneutic this part of the book has a more general value. For example, readers learn about the various genres in the Bible and about the distinction between description and endorsement. Here we also find a useful chapter on what violence is.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the second part Paynter tackles the OT in concentric circles, beginning with the relatively simple texts in which violence is merely described. This is followed by texts in which violence is deplored, psalms which call upon God to use violence, texts about violence against animals and texts in which the use of violence is part of a divine judgement. Throughout her discussions are careful and helpful. Paynter’s response to the usual argument that the Canaanites deserved to be punished for their wickedness was a surprise to me; if you want to know what it is, buy and read the book! The final chapter, intended as a positive counterpart to the preceding misery, deals with God’s plan of \u003cem\u003eshalom\u003c\/em\u003e for his good creation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThroughout Paynter’s tone is humble. She is honest about her own struggles and about points where she is uncertain. She refers to the book of Joshua as something that ‘feels alien and disturbing’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the most part, the book is easy to read; at times it is almost basic, which means that it is largely right for many church members. At the end of the chapters there are summaries and the notes are tucked away as end-notes. Some may find it uncomfortable that Paynter describes the flood as a myth (94-95), but that should not distract anybody.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo it is a perfect book? No, because it contains some typos and there is no index of texts. Some elements of the discussion might still be complicated for ‘lay people’. I would also have liked to read a bit more about the character of God. But these minor quibbles are just that: minor quibbles. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Pieter J Lalleman\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePreach, issue 20, Autumn 2019. Review by Tom Wharin\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the third book I’ve read on the subject of violence in the Bible in the last couple of years and it is also the most helpful. \u003cem\u003eGod of Violence yesterday, God of Love Today? \u003c\/em\u003eHas a clear and helpful structure even if the title is a bit of a mouthful. Helen Paynter starts by laying out her unapologetically Christocentric hermeneutic (to which I also subscribe). She then works through the biblical texts containing violence, from the ones she regards as least troubling (violence implored by the writer) to the ones she considers most troubling (violence commanded by God).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book does contain plenty of literary and historical-critical arguments which won’t appeal to a wide popular audience but Helen Paynter is very readable. Theological concepts are well explained with reference to everyday events, familiar news and historical stories. In addition to her marshalling her own thoughts well, Helen Paynter draws on and explains some of the best arguments in John H. Walton \u0026amp; J. Harvey Walton’s and Greg Boyd’s books (among others) in a way that makes them more accessible to readers like me than the originals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs an apologia for violence in the Bible to twenty-first century western culture, the book as a whole feels like a pretty solid bridge two-thirds of the way across a cultural canyon. The reader is left with more construction to do on either cliff or both, and the author honestly acknowledges this as our work and hers in the introduction and conclusion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI will definitely be recommending this book to anyone from sixth form up who is serious about engaging with God’s word on this subject. The structure will make it easy to dip back into for sermon references and it will serve very well as an introduction to this area of apologetics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Tom Wharin\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethodist Recorder 16 August, 2019. Summer paperback roundup by Cavan Wood\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eGod of Violence Yesterday, God of Love Today?\u003c\/em\u003e the author Helen Paynter has tried to tackle one of the most difficult questions of biblical theology. Why is it that the God of the Old Testament seems to sanction war and what we might today call ethnic cleansing, while the God of the New Testament seems to be all about love? This simple stereotyping of the argument is well dealt with, giving us many ideas to reflect on. She does not come to easy answers, but you will feel considerably better informed. This is a book to read a couple of times and perhaps to share with a reading group to think through the many issues that it raises.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCavan Wood\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by David Ball, GOLD Project, July 2019\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis short book deals with one of the thorniest subjects for Christians who believe that God is love and at the same time believe that the Christian Scriptures in their totality are God’s word to us. Helen Paynter does not shy away from any of the challenges that passages of violence in the Scriptures, particularly the Old Testament, bring to a theology of God’s love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePart one introduces us to some key skills for interpreting the Old Testament. God’s goodness and the ultimate revelation of this in Jesus Christ sets the theological foundation by which we are to interpret the Scriptures. From this starting point, we are ably guided through what we do and what we don’t mean when we speak of the Bible as God’s Word to us. Here the indispensable place of the Old Testament for our Christian faith is emphasised. If we need a clear theological foundation to interpret the Bible responsibly, we also need a clear understanding of the issue we are dealing with. For this we are led through a careful discussion of the complexity of violence and how it manifests itself in society. This prepares us to look at the nature of the Old Testament and especially the challenge to understand the worldview of its writers and audience which is so often far removed from our own. Reading each passage of the Old Testament in the context of the big story of Scripture, understanding the type of literature that we are reading and wrestling with the meaning of the text are all key skills to hearing the message better. Another important reminder is to let different and apparently contradictory narratives or themes contribute to the big picture of how Scripture conveys a multi-layered voice on key issues such as human kingship. All of these skills prepare us to address the particular issue of violence and the Bible in more depth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePart two does precisely this. Here we engage with the texts of violence under five (increasingly problematic) headings: Violence described, Violence implored, Violence against animals, Violence as divine judgement, Violence commanded. In each of these chapters, a clear attempt is made to compare and contrast the biblical context with our own and to draw out the significance of texts for our own day. We are carefully guided through the different types of violence each of which demand a different response. For example, describing violence in both the Old Testament and our own day does not necessarily endorse it. On the contrary, it often gives a voice to victims who would otherwise be denied justice and a hearing. Imploring violence is better than actual violence and is not necessarily endorsed by the text either. As we are led into the more problematic aspects of violence in the Old Testament, we are necessarily introduced to more technical aspects of biblical interpretation. Nevertheless, these are explained clearly. While not everyone will agree with some of the readings of the Old Testament, what becomes clear is that it is possible to grapple with even the most difficult Old Testament texts and not lose our integrity as those who believe in a just and loving God revealed in the totality of our Scriptures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final chapter seeks to bring a resolution and explain that the trajectory of the biblical narrative is towards the biblical idea of shalom. Normally translated ‘peace’ the ‘core meaning relates to completeness or intactness and the range of meanings includes prosperity, welfare, good relationships, deliverance and health’ (p.157) It is a vision of this shalom that drives the narrative of the Bible forward from its beginning in Genesis to its conclusion in the New Testament book of Revelation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe skill of interpreting the Bible responsibly in today’s world is one that anyone can learn. It is not easy and involves a struggle, but, above all, this is the significance of this book. For, while it addresses the particularly thorny issue of violence, it does far more than this. It gives us a practical model of how to wrestle with difficult issues in the Bible and society, seeking to listen to each text within the big framework of Scripture and to understand how this relates to our own context. Through this process, we can learn the skills of hearing God’s voice for today even in the difficult parts of the Bible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by David Ball, GOLD Project\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReform July\/August 2019. Review by Catherine Ball\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a particularly apposite book for our current political situation. John Lennon wrote the song ‘Imagine’, longing for a peaceful world, assuming that religion is one of the main causes of conflict. It would be lovely to be able to say that Christian scriptures do not advocate violence, or that only the Old Testament shows God as angry and violent. The temptation is to avoid difficult and violent Bible passages. Yet, the Old Testament is an essential part of the Christian scriptures. Helen Paynter shows that it is too simplistic to separate the Old Testament from the New.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaynter acknowledges that violence is apparently directed and endorsed by God in Old Testament texts. In an intellectually rigorous and accessible way, Paynter wrestles with each text to show that in many cases, the violence may become more understandable, and in some cases may be fully explained. She shows that each story needs to be carefully read in the context of ancient Hebrew language and culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor example, Paynter compares the battle of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17 – in which David beheads Goliath – with Adam and Eve’s temptation by the serpent (Genesis 3). In both stories, there is a battle that will determine who has dominion and an evil force mocks God’s favoured. In the latter story, God curses the serpent and says that he will bruise the serpent’s head. God will have victory in the end. Though David – God’s chosen king, descended of Eve – is mocked by the giant who defies God, he is victorious. The pattern points to a greater king to come.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaynter warns of the need to be careful how these passages are taught to children, and how they are used in preaching. This is an exceedingly helpful book for anyone who wants to honestly teach and preach the scriptures for contemporary society, affirming God’s plan for peace in the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Catherine Ball, Minister of the Free Church, St Ives, and Fenstanton URC, Cambridgeshire.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProgressive Voices Issue 30,September 2019. Review by Ray Vincent\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelen is Director of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence at Bristol Baptist College and the new Editor of BRF’s \u003cem\u003eGuidelines \u003c\/em\u003eBible reading notes. She is well placed to write this very accessible book. She deals with the problem in a very straightforward, systematic way, beginning with the less difficult and moving on to the most difficult ones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst she considers the places in the Bible where violence is simply described as part of the story. Then she moves on to where suffering people pray for vengeance on their oppressors – a natural human reaction. Next, violence against animals, pointing out the huge cultural difference between the Bible’s world and ours. Then she tackles violence as divine judgement, and finally the most difficult problem, the places where God seems actually to command acts of violence against innocent people.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaynter approaches the problem humbly, freely acknowledging that she does not have the answers but is still wrestling with the questions. However, it seems to me that her perception of the violence as a ‘problem’ comes from her relatively conservative view of the Bible as the Word of God. While acknowledging the humanity of the Bible and reading it in the light of critical scholarship, she seems nevertheless to be trying to justify everything it says, and hesitates to say that parts of it may be simply mistaken.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI suspect that the way in which most of us perceive the Bible means that we do not see the violence in it as a ‘problem’ in this kind of way. At the same time, this book is clear, honest and admirably arranged. It is well worth using as a basis for discussion in churches. Some Progressive Christian Network groups too might find it useful. It is informative, reminding us of parts of the Bible we sometimes neglect, and it is thought-provoking and sometimes challenging.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReviewed by Ray Vincent\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by David Mitchell, Pastor, Woodlands Church, Bristol. May 2019\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelen has written a book on one of the most difficult questions Christians face. In it she has managed to be both accessible, compassionate and scholarly as she navigates the tension between a high view of scripture and yet its depiction of God’s apparent actions and decrees in ways which offend our most basic instincts of what is good and loving.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe begins with a really helpful guide to reading the bible well whatever (and wherever) the biblical text is addressing, which I would commend to any serious reader of the bible, especially those coming to it fresh. She goes on to deal specifically with the issues of violence, not just to people; animals are included. She gives really helpful cultural context to hard passages without ducking some of the difficulties and ambiguities that remain even for her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe invites us foundationally to see Jesus as God’s last word on the issue of violence and to read the Old Testament not just as a foundation for the revelation of Jesus but as sacred texts which He provides the ultimate guide to understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Andy Goodliff, May 2019\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelen Paynter is a Baptist minister and Old Testament scholar based at Bristol Baptist College. This is her second book. Her first, a version of her PhD, was Reduced Laughter, looking at how to read the books of 1 \u0026amp; 2 Kings. This second book, written for a broad audience, engages with the thorn of subjects violence in the Old Testament. It arrives at the same time as the work of the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.bristol-baptist.ac.uk\/study-centres\/csbv\/\"\u003eCentre for the Study of the Bible and Violence\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(CSBV) begins, of which Paynter is the Director. The book comes in two parts. The first establishes some 'foundations' — reading the Bible as God's word, how to read the Bible well and what is meant or encompassed by the word 'violence.' The chapter in reading the Bible well is especially helpful in offering some important lessons. The second half of the book seeks through 5 chapters to engage with the most serious of questions around the Old Testament and violence. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese 5 chapters make a series of important points. When violence is described, it is not always (often?) being endorsed. An example is given in the story of Samson. Paynter provides a different way of reading the book of Judges that pays attention to how the book is narrated. When violence is implored, as is the case of a good number of Psalms, there is a cry for justice and handing over of that desire for vengeance to God. Violence against animals is not as wanton as might be supposed. Paynter offers some helpful readings of the story of the flood in Genesis 6-9 and the place of sacrifices within Israel's worship. The fourth and fifth chapters explore violence as divine judgement and violence as commanded (e.g. the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eherem\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003epassages in Joshua). These questions are more difficult to address, and Paynter acknowledges, that this is not her last word on them, but almost a first foray into these questions, in conversation with wider scholarship. She takes us carefully through the importance of justice, the meaning of the law of talion (eye for an eye), a reading of the death of Uzzah (2 Sam 6) and in the latter chapter the meaning of the word\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eherem\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA final chapter suggests that God's great plan in the Old Testament is shalom (peace) and we read it with trajectory in mind. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an excellent book, which wears its scholarship lightly. Paynter has a great way of explaining and the book is an easy read, although exploring difficult questions. The book seeks as its subtitle suggests to 'wrestle honestly' with the violence found in the Old Testament. It doesn't have, and doesn't promise, a magic solution, but does show that a surface level reading will miss or overlook at more subtle ways the Bible describes and responds to violence. I look forward to future explorations that I'm sure will be forthcoming from Paynter and the CSBV that will continue to reach a broad audience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Andy Goodliff. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/andygoodliff.typepad.com\/my_weblog\/2019\/05\/helen-paynter-god-of-violence-yesterday-god-of-love-today-brf-2019.html\" title=\"Andy Goodliff on God of Violence Yesterday, God of Love Today?\"\u003eClick \u003c\/a\u003ehere for blog.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview by Peter King, Diocese of Chichester\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver the past few years I have become increasingly troubled by the violence in the Bible. Although this is a subject we don’t often talk about in our churches, I know from a number of informal conversations that many churchgoers (and others) have questions they would like to explore on these issues.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished to coincide with June’s inaugural events of Bristol College’s Centre for the Study of Bible \u0026amp; Violence, Helen Paynter’s new book offers a rigorous yet accessible exploration of Old Testament violence ideal for individuals or groups wishing to engage with these troubling texts and the issues they raise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book is divided into two parts. The first part offers valuable groundwork on the nature of the Bible and the nature of violence, and concludes with some very helpful suggestions on 'Reading the Bible well'. It is good to be reminded that the reason that texts of violence disturb us is because of our core belief that God is good. It is important, too, to be made aware that just because the Bible describes violence this does not necessarily mean that it commends it. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second part identifies a range of types of violent text, and discusses these in ascending order of importance from what is termed 'Violence described' through 'Violence implored' and 'Violence against animals' (sacrifice) to 'Violence as divine judgement and what is the standout case for most people Violence commanded. I found this a very helpful way of classifying the different examples of violence in the OT. Each chapter concludes with some thoughts on how the type of texts under discussion might be read and used in churches today. Here I was particularly struck by what the author sees as the pastoral implications of ignoring the texts of 'Violence described'. By ignoring these stories of interpersonal and sexual violence we risk silencing those for whom they are a reality in their lives today. Yes, indeed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book concludes with a chapter entitled 'Shalom: God’s great plan', which puts the violent texts in the context of what is arguably an even more significant OT theme.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe author herself acknowledges at the end of the chapter on 'Violence commanded' that 'there might be more to say' on these most troubling of all the texts of violence. Not everyone will agree with the suggested interpretation, but I hope that all will agree on the important suggestions for reading them 'with ethical integrity' both in our churches and beyond. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone interested in the questions it explores. If you are new to the subject, it offers a comprehensive introduction and the reassurance that you are being guided by a capable and safe pair of hands as you begin to engage with challenging and important issues. If, like me, you are familiar with some of the literature on the subject, reading it will surely bring new insights and ideas. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePeter King trained at Bristol Baptist College and now works for the Anglican Diocese of Chichester in adult theological education.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWord \u0026amp; Worship, journal of the New Zealand Lay Preachers Association, Winter 2019 (June). Review by John Meredith\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelen Paynter addresses the question of biblical violence honestly and without proposing any final answer. She is clear that what is in the scriptures should be neither hidden nor denied and that the Old Testament God of judgement should not be contrasted with the New Testament God of grace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaynter recognises that while violence may be deliberately aggressive it may also find expression through oppressive social structures. Colonisation and cultural devaluation are examples of this. Violence may also be associated with polarising rhetoric. We need think only of the ‘war on terror’ against nations defined as evil. We should not think that violence may be consigned to savage antiquity from which we have moved on. It is still possible to think that with bombs, rather than swords, we are doing God’s will.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs we consider episodes of violence in the Bible, Paynter invites readers to reflect on the narrators’ purposes. For example, in Judges 19 we find the gang rape and murder of a concubine. This is deeply shocking, but also draws attention to the appalling consequences for a defenceless woman in a society without law or leadership. Although part of the biblical text, such stories are not usually read in public worship, yet the airing of such stories may allow women who have experienced sexual violence to feel heard and present opportunities for pastoral care.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBiblical writers recognise the reality of emotions such as anger and desire for revenge arising within the human heart. But rather than being encouraged to give reign to free expression of such emotions we are invited to leave vengeance to God who is just and merciful. The concept of ‘an eye for an eye’ should, Paynter believes, be understood as defining the limitation of personal vengeance, a limitation which Jesus extends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eModern sensitivities may cause us to shudder at the conquest of Canaan recorded in the book of Joshua where slaughter seems to be commanded by God. Rather than a literal record of history Paynter suggests the story may be understood as a type of biblical literature dealing with God bringing order out of chaos and affirming the identity of Israel as God’s covenant people. This does not mean, however, that it can be used to support modern Israel’s actions towards Palestine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the Hebrew mind God was awesome in holiness with power to create and to destroy. The stories of creation are placed at the beginning of the Old Testament as affirmation of God’s perfect design and intention for universal shalom\/ wholeness. History is played out in a broken and often violent world, but the law and the prophets point to God’s creative intention for healing and wholeness and this is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is not for us to edit from the Bible what offends us. We must learn to read with understanding. Helen Paynter writes clearly and makes a major contribution to informed reading so that we may hear and interpret God’s word for today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eJohn Meredith was ordained in the Methodist Church of New Zealand and has completed post-graduate study at Spurgeon’s College, London. John has served in pastoral roles in New Zealand and Western Australia. He is currently editor of Word \u0026amp; Worship, the publication of the NZ Lay Preachers Association and reviews books on theological and biblical themes.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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{"id":2439772897380,"title":"God's Belongers: How people engage with God today and how the church can help","handle":"gods-belongers-how-people-engage-with-god-today-and-how-the-church-can-help","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis book transforms thinking about church membership by replacing the division between 'members' and 'non-members' with a four-fold model of belonging. Based in extensive practical research, David Walker shows how 'belonging' can encompass a far wider group of people than those who attend weekly services. He examines belonging through relationship, through place and through events, as well as the traditional belonging through activities. He goes on to explore the opportunities for mission that emerge as a result - while also acknowledging the challenges posed for issues such as church financing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eContents\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntroduction: an aid for mission\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePart 1: How we belong\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1 Belonging: a theological concept\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2 Reliably regular: belonging through church activities\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e3 People power: belonging through relationships\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e4 Only the once: belonging through events\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e5 Location, location: belonging through place\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e6 The mystery of the missing vicar: an example of belonging\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePart 2: Belonging for mission\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e7 What's the difference? Understanding occasional churchgoers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e8 Together in mission: the Five Marks of Mission\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e9 Paying the piper: what has become of Anglican governance and finance?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePart 3: Who else is missing?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e10 Types and temperaments: what is Psychological Type?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e11 Models for motivation: exploring the world of Religious Orientation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e12 Never on Sunday: the opportunities and challenges of Sunday worship\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eForeword\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhenever the church gets to talking about numbers, sooner or later someone will protest that it is not all about bums on seats, is it? Well, yes and no. As this readable and insightful book from David Walker makes clear, belonging cannot simply be measured by your attendance record. There are multiple ways of belonging to any organisation or community, and especially the church. But if instead of 'bums on seats' the church talked about 'hearts being changed' or 'lives being transformed', and once we realise that there can be no impact in our local communities and wider society unless there are at least some people who not only belong, but whose belonging shapes and directs the whole of their lives, i.e. their hearts are being changed and their lives are being transformed, then we begin to see that understanding how people belong and ministering to people in their different ways of belonging is something worth thinking about. This book will help you.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eThe Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/BishopDavidWalker_480x480.jpg?v=1676497548\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" width=\"219\" height=\"269\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/BishopDavidWalker_480x480.jpg?v=1676497548\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\nAfter a Maths degree at Cambridge, David Walker trained in theology in Birmingham. He served in churches in the dioceses of Sheffield before becoming Bishop of Dudley in 2000 and then in 2013 Bishop of Manchester. He is involved in writing a continuing series of papers for peer review journals and the International Society of Empirical Research in Theology, using quantitative methods to analyse aspects of rural Anglicanism. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a member of the Rural Theology Association, the Church of England Ministry Council and one of the Church Commissioners for England. He has contributed chapters to a number of books including Changing Rural Life: A Christian response to key rural issues (Canterbury Press, 2004), Rural Life and Rural Church: theological and empirical perspectives (Equinox, 2012), Exploring Ordinary Theology: everyday Christian believing and the Church (Ashgate, 2013). He has written papers for (amongst other journals) Rural Theology, the Journal of Beliefs \u0026amp; Values and the Journal of Anglican Studies. In 2014 he was awarded a PhD from the University of Warwick for the studies on which this book will be based.\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChurch Times 21.7.17\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview by Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford of \u003cem\u003eGod's Belongers: How people engage with God today and how the Church can help\u003c\/em\u003e by David Walker and \u003cem\u003eReproducing Churches \u003c\/em\u003eby George Lings\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce in a while, a book comes along that changes the way you look at things. Here are two.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid Walker's delightfully titled \u003cem\u003eGod's Belongers\u003c\/em\u003e analyses the different ways in which people express their belonging to church and their engagement with God, and suggests new strategies that will help the local church understand and provide for this belonging.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on extensive research of church attendance at rural harvest festivals and Christmas carol services, the central thesis of this book is that regular churchgoing is not the only way in which Christian belonging is expressed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn one level, this is completely obvious. Most churches, however, persist with a gold standard of 'every-Sunday-morning' belonging, and all evangelistic endeavour is geared towards achieving this. But, as Walker's well-researched and well-argued book unfolds, we find that belonging can be measured in other ways, and this is more to do with personality and circumstance than commitment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, the one who comes less often is not necessarily less committed. Someone whose primary belonging comes through relationships, and who wishes to express this in service, may never come every week. But his or her 'lived-out' discipleship, day by day, demonstrates a commitment equal to any weekly communicant. If weekly attendance is the only goal, this person's faith development may be stymied, and the church's ability and flexibility to grow in different ways diminished.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePut this alongside the vastly changed pattern of work, leisure, and family life in Britain today, and the impact on church life is plain to see. Strategies for evangelism and discipleship need to work with the grain of these different types of belonging, not against them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe development of Fresh Expressions in the Church of England is one such example of helping people to belong differently.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFresh Expressions of Church is not a stepping-stone towards the so-called 'real church' of Sunday morning. Worshipping in a variety of cultural styles, meeting in different places and different formats and at different times, Fresh Expressions have enabled the Church to broaden its reach.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis has been a remarkable story of missional and ecclesiological enterprise, and, although many people have played a significant part in this story, none has done more than George Lings. His ministry as theologian, researcher and church-planter has provided the impetus and inspiration for the Church to try new things. He has also led the way in enabling the Church to reflect on and learn from these experiments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll this is brought together in \u003cem\u003eReproducing Churches\u003c\/em\u003e. Lings explains and develops the basic thesis that reproduction is inherent in what it means to be the Church, not merely an optional function that some may choose. In other words, for the Church to be the Church it must reproduce. Based, again, on extensive research and vast experience, this book is probably the best available handbook for understanding church-planting and Fresh Expressions, and seeing how the Church can become what it is meant to be be. Put these two books together, and every church will be rethinking its evangelistic strategy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by the Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArthur Rank Centre Resources. Review by Revd Elizabeth Clark, National Rural Officer for the Methodist and United Reformed Churches\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this challenging book David Walker, Bishop of Manchester, argues that people belong to their community and to church in different ways. Some belong through activities and are often regular churchgoers and office holders in the church, the sort of person everyone knows and likes. This person helps others to relate to God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 'God's Belongers' these ways of belonging are offered as a framework within which we might consider how to shape and focus the mission of the church beyond 'people like us.' So often mission is based around the things that those already in the church are comfortable with. Walker challenges us to look at how we can do things differently so that other ways of belonging can be welcomed and accommodated, and people can grow in faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn short, this book encourages us to look seriously at those not like us so that we can welcome them. It also challenges us to learn from others because 'the evidence we've found of a rich and complex pattern of belonging challenges the often implicit assumption that occasional church goers are 'nominal' Christians'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile 'God's Belongers' inevitably reflects Bishop David's Anglican perspective, his insights are more widely applicable are easy to translate for other denominational contexts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Elizabeth Clark, National Rural Officer for the Methodist and United Reformed Churches\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Reader (Spring 2018). Review by Janice Price\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an important research based examination of how people belong to church. Based on two surveys taken in 2007 and 2009 in the Dioceses of Worcester and Lichfield, Walker outlines four ways - through people, places, one-off events and regular activities - that people belong to the Church. The samples were taken at rural harvest services and Christmas carol services and show information about the attitudes or regular churchgoers to those who attend occasionally. Walker argues that people, places or one-off events are co-workers with regular attendees and not objects of mission. He also asks whether it is possible to be a good Christian and not go to church very often. 'God's Belongers' is full of important questions and issues for PCCs, ministry teams and others to consider. It challenges stereotypes of the 'not-often-there' church attendees and deserves wide and careful consideration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Janice Price\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:21:59+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:22:01+00:00","vendor":"David Walker","type":"Paperback","tags":["Church life","Feb-17","Kindle","Leadership","Mission","Torch Trust"],"price":799,"price_min":799,"price_max":799,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769369256036,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857464675","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":{"id":7436693766244,"product_id":2439772897380,"position":1,"created_at":"2019-01-18T15:22:01+00:00","updated_at":"2019-02-01T17:45:57+00:00","alt":null,"width":427,"height":650,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857464675-l.jpg?v=1549043157","variant_ids":[21769369256036]},"available":true,"name":"God's Belongers: How people engage with God today and how the church can help - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":799,"weight":180,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857464675","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":3238877495435,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"width":427,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857464675-l.jpg?v=1549043157"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857464675-l.jpg?v=1549043157"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857464675-l.jpg?v=1549043157","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238877495435,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"width":427,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857464675-l.jpg?v=1549043157"},"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857464675-l.jpg?v=1549043157","width":427}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eThis book transforms thinking about church membership by replacing the division between 'members' and 'non-members' with a four-fold model of belonging. Based in extensive practical research, David Walker shows how 'belonging' can encompass a far wider group of people than those who attend weekly services. He examines belonging through relationship, through place and through events, as well as the traditional belonging through activities. He goes on to explore the opportunities for mission that emerge as a result - while also acknowledging the challenges posed for issues such as church financing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eContents\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntroduction: an aid for mission\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePart 1: How we belong\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1 Belonging: a theological concept\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2 Reliably regular: belonging through church activities\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e3 People power: belonging through relationships\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e4 Only the once: belonging through events\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e5 Location, location: belonging through place\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e6 The mystery of the missing vicar: an example of belonging\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePart 2: Belonging for mission\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e7 What's the difference? Understanding occasional churchgoers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e8 Together in mission: the Five Marks of Mission\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e9 Paying the piper: what has become of Anglican governance and finance?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePart 3: Who else is missing?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e10 Types and temperaments: what is Psychological Type?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e11 Models for motivation: exploring the world of Religious Orientation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e12 Never on Sunday: the opportunities and challenges of Sunday worship\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eForeword\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhenever the church gets to talking about numbers, sooner or later someone will protest that it is not all about bums on seats, is it? Well, yes and no. As this readable and insightful book from David Walker makes clear, belonging cannot simply be measured by your attendance record. There are multiple ways of belonging to any organisation or community, and especially the church. But if instead of 'bums on seats' the church talked about 'hearts being changed' or 'lives being transformed', and once we realise that there can be no impact in our local communities and wider society unless there are at least some people who not only belong, but whose belonging shapes and directs the whole of their lives, i.e. their hearts are being changed and their lives are being transformed, then we begin to see that understanding how people belong and ministering to people in their different ways of belonging is something worth thinking about. This book will help you.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eThe Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/BishopDavidWalker_480x480.jpg?v=1676497548\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" width=\"219\" height=\"269\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/BishopDavidWalker_480x480.jpg?v=1676497548\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\nAfter a Maths degree at Cambridge, David Walker trained in theology in Birmingham. He served in churches in the dioceses of Sheffield before becoming Bishop of Dudley in 2000 and then in 2013 Bishop of Manchester. He is involved in writing a continuing series of papers for peer review journals and the International Society of Empirical Research in Theology, using quantitative methods to analyse aspects of rural Anglicanism. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a member of the Rural Theology Association, the Church of England Ministry Council and one of the Church Commissioners for England. He has contributed chapters to a number of books including Changing Rural Life: A Christian response to key rural issues (Canterbury Press, 2004), Rural Life and Rural Church: theological and empirical perspectives (Equinox, 2012), Exploring Ordinary Theology: everyday Christian believing and the Church (Ashgate, 2013). He has written papers for (amongst other journals) Rural Theology, the Journal of Beliefs \u0026amp; Values and the Journal of Anglican Studies. In 2014 he was awarded a PhD from the University of Warwick for the studies on which this book will be based.\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChurch Times 21.7.17\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview by Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford of \u003cem\u003eGod's Belongers: How people engage with God today and how the Church can help\u003c\/em\u003e by David Walker and \u003cem\u003eReproducing Churches \u003c\/em\u003eby George Lings\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce in a while, a book comes along that changes the way you look at things. Here are two.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid Walker's delightfully titled \u003cem\u003eGod's Belongers\u003c\/em\u003e analyses the different ways in which people express their belonging to church and their engagement with God, and suggests new strategies that will help the local church understand and provide for this belonging.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on extensive research of church attendance at rural harvest festivals and Christmas carol services, the central thesis of this book is that regular churchgoing is not the only way in which Christian belonging is expressed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn one level, this is completely obvious. Most churches, however, persist with a gold standard of 'every-Sunday-morning' belonging, and all evangelistic endeavour is geared towards achieving this. But, as Walker's well-researched and well-argued book unfolds, we find that belonging can be measured in other ways, and this is more to do with personality and circumstance than commitment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, the one who comes less often is not necessarily less committed. Someone whose primary belonging comes through relationships, and who wishes to express this in service, may never come every week. But his or her 'lived-out' discipleship, day by day, demonstrates a commitment equal to any weekly communicant. If weekly attendance is the only goal, this person's faith development may be stymied, and the church's ability and flexibility to grow in different ways diminished.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePut this alongside the vastly changed pattern of work, leisure, and family life in Britain today, and the impact on church life is plain to see. Strategies for evangelism and discipleship need to work with the grain of these different types of belonging, not against them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe development of Fresh Expressions in the Church of England is one such example of helping people to belong differently.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFresh Expressions of Church is not a stepping-stone towards the so-called 'real church' of Sunday morning. Worshipping in a variety of cultural styles, meeting in different places and different formats and at different times, Fresh Expressions have enabled the Church to broaden its reach.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis has been a remarkable story of missional and ecclesiological enterprise, and, although many people have played a significant part in this story, none has done more than George Lings. His ministry as theologian, researcher and church-planter has provided the impetus and inspiration for the Church to try new things. He has also led the way in enabling the Church to reflect on and learn from these experiments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll this is brought together in \u003cem\u003eReproducing Churches\u003c\/em\u003e. Lings explains and develops the basic thesis that reproduction is inherent in what it means to be the Church, not merely an optional function that some may choose. In other words, for the Church to be the Church it must reproduce. Based, again, on extensive research and vast experience, this book is probably the best available handbook for understanding church-planting and Fresh Expressions, and seeing how the Church can become what it is meant to be be. Put these two books together, and every church will be rethinking its evangelistic strategy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by the Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArthur Rank Centre Resources. Review by Revd Elizabeth Clark, National Rural Officer for the Methodist and United Reformed Churches\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this challenging book David Walker, Bishop of Manchester, argues that people belong to their community and to church in different ways. Some belong through activities and are often regular churchgoers and office holders in the church, the sort of person everyone knows and likes. This person helps others to relate to God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 'God's Belongers' these ways of belonging are offered as a framework within which we might consider how to shape and focus the mission of the church beyond 'people like us.' So often mission is based around the things that those already in the church are comfortable with. Walker challenges us to look at how we can do things differently so that other ways of belonging can be welcomed and accommodated, and people can grow in faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn short, this book encourages us to look seriously at those not like us so that we can welcome them. It also challenges us to learn from others because 'the evidence we've found of a rich and complex pattern of belonging challenges the often implicit assumption that occasional church goers are 'nominal' Christians'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile 'God's Belongers' inevitably reflects Bishop David's Anglican perspective, his insights are more widely applicable are easy to translate for other denominational contexts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Elizabeth Clark, National Rural Officer for the Methodist and United Reformed Churches\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Reader (Spring 2018). Review by Janice Price\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an important research based examination of how people belong to church. Based on two surveys taken in 2007 and 2009 in the Dioceses of Worcester and Lichfield, Walker outlines four ways - through people, places, one-off events and regular activities - that people belong to the Church. The samples were taken at rural harvest services and Christmas carol services and show information about the attitudes or regular churchgoers to those who attend occasionally. Walker argues that people, places or one-off events are co-workers with regular attendees and not objects of mission. He also asks whether it is possible to be a good Christian and not go to church very often. 'God's Belongers' is full of important questions and issues for PCCs, ministry teams and others to consider. It challenges stereotypes of the 'not-often-there' church attendees and deserves wide and careful consideration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReview by Janice Price\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
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God's Belongers: How people engage with God today and how the church can help
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This book transforms thinking about church membership by replacing the division between 'members' and 'non-members' with a four-fold model of...
{"id":2439766966372,"title":"God's Daughters: Loved, held, accepted, enough","handle":"gods-daughters-loved-held-accepted-enough","description":"\u003cp\u003eDo you ever feel under so much pressure to be prettier, cleverer or holier that you feel you just might break? Do you ever feel like you're not good enough for other people, and they will never love or accept you? Do you feel like you're the one who has to change, to solve the problems and get it all right?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI definitely feel like that sometimes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this book I have taken six issues, each of which come with its own pressures: school, image, friends, family, church and our personal relationships with God. In each case we may feel that our teachers, family, friends or even God expects us to be better than we feel inside. We may feel that if we don't meet these expectations we need to work harder in order to be loved and accepted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut this is not true!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy prayer for you - and me - is that we realise we have had enough of trying to be 'good enough'. We need to let God strengthen us to keep walking. We need to listen to his gentle voice - and be encouraged to lift our eyes to him and dwell in his amazing grace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHannah Fytche is in her first year of studying theology at university. Over the past four years she has been mentored by Sharon Prior of the Sophia Network, which 'exists to empower and equip women in leadership, and to champion the full equality of women and men in the church.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/HannahFytche5_RootedinGod_sGrace_480x480.jpg?v=1676497624\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/HannahFytche5_RootedinGod_sGrace_480x480.jpg?v=1676497624\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\nHannah Fytche is in her first year of studying theology at university. Over the past four years she has been mentored by Sharon Prior of the Sophia Network, which 'exists to empower and equip women in leadership, and to champion the full equality of women and men in the church.'\n\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHand in Hand E-Newsletter July 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHannah's aim is for teenage girls to realise that there is nothing that we can do to be 'good enough' and that we need to put our faith and trust in God, to strengthen, encourage and guide us through our lives, despite the pressures around us. It is encouraging to know that she has recently been through the things we are going through - she is relevant and easy to relate to and this is reflected in the easy going and conversational nature of the book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book contains a wide range of examples, some of which are not easy to make directly personal to oneself, but this encourages the reader to empathise with others and to better understand what they are going through. It is useful getting Hannah's perspective on the issues.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOverall I think that \u003cem\u003eGod's Daughters\u003c\/em\u003e provides a necessary and encouraging perspective, serving as a continual reminder of God's love and grace to his children: a book that I'm sure will be helpful to revisit throughout my teenage years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAmy - aged 16\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Girls Brigade - April 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGod's Daughters\u003c\/em\u003e is a book written by a hugely talented young woman called Hannah Fytche, who is currently in her first year of studying theology at university. She hopes for girls to realise that they are 'loved, held, accepted, enough' and has written this book for those who are fed up of trying to be good enough, and feel under pressure to be prettier, cleverer, or holier in order to be accepted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHannah has divided the book up into chapters, each addressing a different issue or situation that teenagers may be experiencing. These include coping with conflict within friendship groups, revealing the real you to your family, and feeling loved enough in the school environment, among others. Each chapter contains an in depth discussion of its topic, giving examples of situations that young girls may find themselves in, and this is followed up by advice on how to deal with these issues and what the Bible has to say about them. At the end of each chapter there is a section called 'headphones time', which contains questions for the reader to consider that help to focus in on the topics and encourage the reader to think about how they can act to tackle certain issues and make life better for themselves and for others. Hannah also includes recommendations of music to listen to, often with lyrics that relate to the chapter content and that girls may find helpful when contemplating the issues that they are facing in their own lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGod's Daughters\u003c\/em\u003e is incredibly engaging and easy to read, and is broken down into chapters that can be read individually if you live a busy life! Hannah writes as if she is speaking to a friend, and the book is refreshingly down to earth and relevant, in contrast to many books that are written for teenagers today. The descriptions of situations that teenagers may encounter not only exemplify Hannah's understanding of young women, but also get you thinking about the topics covered in the book and how they relate to your life. In some cases there were situations portrayed that I had not come across myself, and I found these extremely useful in learning to empathise with other people and how they may be feeling. The advice given is practical and can easily be applied to the real-world, and Hannah has formed this guidance based on a wide variety of literature and experience, particularly the Bible and her encounters with God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGod's Daughters\u003c\/em\u003e is a book full of the much needed wisdom and experience of a girl not long out of her teenage years herself, yet firmly rooted in the word of God, reassuring and encouraging to any young woman that may read it. I would highly recommend this book to any young woman wanting relevant advice on real life situations, reassurance and empowerment in a world where this is so often needed, or simply desiring to get closer to God-give it a read!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFull article can be seen here \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/gbworldwide.org\/book-review-gods-daughters-hannah-fytche\/\"\u003eClick here\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eZoe Davis\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e","published_at":"2019-01-18T15:21:36+00:00","created_at":"2019-01-18T15:21:38+00:00","vendor":"Hannah Fytche","type":"Paperback","tags":["Apr-16","Children and family ministry","Kindle","Pastoral care","Women"],"price":699,"price_min":699,"price_max":699,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":21769268953188,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9780857464095","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"God's Daughters: Loved, held, accepted, enough - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":699,"weight":150,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9780857464095","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857464095-l.jpg?v=1549043162"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857464095-l.jpg?v=1549043162","options":["Format"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":3238877069451,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"width":427,"src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857464095-l.jpg?v=1549043162"},"aspect_ratio":0.657,"height":650,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.brfonline.org.uk\/cdn\/shop\/products\/9780857464095-l.jpg?v=1549043162","width":427}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eDo you ever feel under so much pressure to be prettier, cleverer or holier that you feel you just might break? Do you ever feel like you're not good enough for other people, and they will never love or accept you? Do you feel like you're the one who has to change, to solve the problems and get it all right?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI definitely feel like that sometimes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this book I have taken six issues, each of which come with its own pressures: school, image, friends, family, church and our personal relationships with God. In each case we may feel that our teachers, family, friends or even God expects us to be better than we feel inside. We may feel that if we don't meet these expectations we need to work harder in order to be loved and accepted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut this is not true!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy prayer for you - and me - is that we realise we have had enough of trying to be 'good enough'. We need to let God strengthen us to keep walking. We need to listen to his gentle voice - and be encouraged to lift our eyes to him and dwell in his amazing grace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHannah Fytche is in her first year of studying theology at university. Over the past four years she has been mentored by Sharon Prior of the Sophia Network, which 'exists to empower and equip women in leadership, and to champion the full equality of women and men in the church.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor info\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/HannahFytche5_RootedinGod_sGrace_480x480.jpg?v=1676497624\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"margin-right: 10px; float: left;\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0148\/6107\/4532\/files\/HannahFytche5_RootedinGod_sGrace_480x480.jpg?v=1676497624\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\nHannah Fytche is in her first year of studying theology at university. Over the past four years she has been mentored by Sharon Prior of the Sophia Network, which 'exists to empower and equip women in leadership, and to champion the full equality of women and men in the church.'\n\n\u003ch5\u003eMedia reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHand in Hand E-Newsletter July 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHannah's aim is for teenage girls to realise that there is nothing that we can do to be 'good enough' and that we need to put our faith and trust in God, to strengthen, encourage and guide us through our lives, despite the pressures around us. It is encouraging to know that she has recently been through the things we are going through - she is relevant and easy to relate to and this is reflected in the easy going and conversational nature of the book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book contains a wide range of examples, some of which are not easy to make directly personal to oneself, but this encourages the reader to empathise with others and to better understand what they are going through. It is useful getting Hannah's perspective on the issues.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOverall I think that \u003cem\u003eGod's Daughters\u003c\/em\u003e provides a necessary and encouraging perspective, serving as a continual reminder of God's love and grace to his children: a book that I'm sure will be helpful to revisit throughout my teenage years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAmy - aged 16\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Girls Brigade - April 2016\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGod's Daughters\u003c\/em\u003e is a book written by a hugely talented young woman called Hannah Fytche, who is currently in her first year of studying theology at university. She hopes for girls to realise that they are 'loved, held, accepted, enough' and has written this book for those who are fed up of trying to be good enough, and feel under pressure to be prettier, cleverer, or holier in order to be accepted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHannah has divided the book up into chapters, each addressing a different issue or situation that teenagers may be experiencing. These include coping with conflict within friendship groups, revealing the real you to your family, and feeling loved enough in the school environment, among others. Each chapter contains an in depth discussion of its topic, giving examples of situations that young girls may find themselves in, and this is followed up by advice on how to deal with these issues and what the Bible has to say about them. At the end of each chapter there is a section called 'headphones time', which contains questions for the reader to consider that help to focus in on the topics and encourage the reader to think about how they can act to tackle certain issues and make life better for themselves and for others. Hannah also includes recommendations of music to listen to, often with lyrics that relate to the chapter content and that girls may find helpful when contemplating the issues that they are facing in their own lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGod's Daughters\u003c\/em\u003e is incredibly engaging and easy to read, and is broken down into chapters that can be read individually if you live a busy life! Hannah writes as if she is speaking to a friend, and the book is refreshingly down to earth and relevant, in contrast to many books that are written for teenagers today. The descriptions of situations that teenagers may encounter not only exemplify Hannah's understanding of young women, but also get you thinking about the topics covered in the book and how they relate to your life. In some cases there were situations portrayed that I had not come across myself, and I found these extremely useful in learning to empathise with other people and how they may be feeling. The advice given is practical and can easily be applied to the real-world, and Hannah has formed this guidance based on a wide variety of literature and experience, particularly the Bible and her encounters with God.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGod's Daughters\u003c\/em\u003e is a book full of the much needed wisdom and experience of a girl not long out of her teenage years herself, yet firmly rooted in the word of God, reassuring and encouraging to any young woman that may read it. I would highly recommend this book to any young woman wanting relevant advice on real life situations, reassurance and empowerment in a world where this is so often needed, or simply desiring to get closer to God-give it a read!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFull article can be seen here \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/gbworldwide.org\/book-review-gods-daughters-hannah-fytche\/\"\u003eClick here\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eZoe Davis\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e"}
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God's Daughters: Loved, held, accepted, enough
£6.99
Do you ever feel under so much pressure to be prettier, cleverer or holier that you feel you just might...