While a mystery, prayer can and should be taught. It is our primary means of communicating with God, yet most Christians join the church and only learn how to pray by listening to others. And if ever called on to pray in public, it becomes a real test of faith for most people. After all, isn't this better left in the hands of the "professionals"?! Benedict's deep passion for teaching Christians how to pray grows from her awareness of prayer as an intimate connection with God. This short cours...

In Jesus' time, lepers were the most stigmatized of patients. Yet he demonstrated great compassion toward them. Today, persons living with HIV/AIDS suffer many of the same discriminations and rejections that first-century lepers did. What would Jesus do? And how willing are you to follow Jesus' example? Like its predecessors in the Pocket Prayer Series, Prayers for Encouragement is a 32-page booklet of comforting meditations developed for a specific need—in this case, serious diseases affecti...

The Way of Prayer Participant's Book is also available for small-group members. Everything you need to guide a small group on a 10-week journey into the heart of prayer is contained in this Leader's Guide. Find the practical help you need: Ideas for a session to introduce the resource to participants A list of Weekly Needs at a Glance Detailed instructions for leading 10 weekly meetings Help your group members become the people God wants them to be through this study. By exploring the n...

In an age when vacationers on pleasure cruises can expect to be on tightly planned and pressure-packed schedules, a restful renewal seems alien. "I will give you rest," Jesus said (Matt. 11:28). The Bible places a strong emphasis on sabbath time. Experiencing solitude, play, and life at a slower rhythm are precious pathways that allow God to nurture our souls. Retreats have the special focus that offer personal growth as participants are guided to look at life and the world with God in mind....

It's been said that Centering Prayer is like two friends sitting together in silence, just being in each other's presence—completely natural and comfortable. Yet, Centering Prayer is sometimes viewed as too mysterious, too escapist, too hard. At first, it even appeared that way to the author, but events in his life and his further studies about prayer changed his views. Through Muyskens' insightful guidance, you'll explore a method of prayer that goes deeper than verbal conversations with God...

Celebrate the joyful spiritual spark found in Africana worship! Worship is the lifeblood of the church. To Africana worshippers, God is very present in the service, and the response is heartfelt, jubilant and authentic. The Africana Worship Book uncovers the "best-of" from the African-American church as well as from the Caribbean, American, and African shores. The collected works found in this resource, which are based on Year A the Revised Common Lectionary, include profound and grace-filled...

"You gave me a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip." —Psalm 18:36 Places are part of our personal story and can be important keys to understanding God's presence in our life. Whether the sacred place lies at the water's edge, in a quiet, small town or in pristine, high-country mountains, all have felt pulled and connected to a spot. Perhaps at the least likely moment you felt touched by God's presence just when you needed it most, even if it was in a mundane, public p...

Because of the more aggressive and confrontational tactics we hear about, evangelism has developed a bad connotation. Doors are shut hurriedly, phone calls end abruptly, and e-mails left unanswered. After all, isn't this a task better handled by the pastor? Perhaps it's time to reexamine John Wesley's model of evangelism as a full, natural circle—where it's a communal beginning point rather than a solitary end. The central motive of authentic evangelism is: Having received a message that's ma...

People who pray together can change the world. A faith community's deepening prayer life depends on an effective spiritual leader. Many are willing to assume this role, but some aspiring guides have trouble making the transition from an individual practice to leading a group. Wolpert demonstrates how personal devotion can evolve into leadership practice. Bestselling spiritual leadership books "provide insights from secular leadership disciplines and then add a paragraph about how these discip...