Books published by Abingdon Press

At its simplest, Mission Strategy is about aligning the what, who, how and when with God's why. Learn to implement Mission Strategy in your community of faith!Church and community relevance and vitality depends on leaders who see their situation through the lens of mission strategy. At its simplest, mission strategy is about aligning the what, who, how and when with God's why. The authors have lived Mission Strategy in a variety of bold ways and have helped others do the same. In doing so, they have created vitality in existing congregations and in newly formed clusters of churches. They have helped create zones of innovation and new ministry development.The sky is the limit when pastors, church leaders and laity in local churches begin emphasizing mission strategy in their conferences, regions, neighborhoods and churches.

Learning to Use My Bible provides opportunities for kids ages 7-9 to acquire and practice skills that will help them understand how to use the Bible, feel comfortable using the Bible, and build a foundation for studying the Bible.

Learning to Use My Bible provides opportunities for kids ages 7-9 to acquire and practice skills that will help them understand how to use the Bible, feel comfortable using the Bible, and build a foundation for studying the Bible. Chapters Include: 1. What is the Bible? 2. Books of Law 3. Old Testament History and Poetry 4. Prophet Books and Prophecy 5. Gospels 6. New Testament History 7. Letters to Early Churches 8. A Gift from God

A deeper dive into understanding the key themes and story-lines of the Bible.

William Barclay testifies to the Bible's unique value as an inspired book and gives clear advice on the best way to read it. He tells how the biblical writings came into being and finally gained acceptance as Scripture. And he explains the significance and the status of the Apocrypha. Most important of all, William Barclay presents the Bible as a book to be read and enjoyed today - a light in the darkness of a world that has lost its way.Barclay's original text has been edited and revised by Professor John W. Rogerson, who has also written a new introduction. Rogerson is the head of the Department of Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield and an authority on the Old Testament. This is a required text for "Lay Speakers Lead Bible Study: Advanced Course." (Abingdon Press, 1997)Table of Contents: Foreward by Ronnie Barclay Prayers for Bible Study Introduction by John Rogerson The Making of the Old Testament The Making of the New Testament The Apocrypha How to Study the Bible The Inspired Book Aids to Reading Maps Index189 pages

The Out of the Depths series addresses common pastoral crises in a faithful, encouraging, and factual manner that provides support to parishioners in crisis beyond the initial pastoral conversation. These inexpensive 64-page booklets can be given out to parishioners when they bring their recent diagnosis, crisis, or trauma to the pastor as a way to continue to provide care throughout the difficult season. Each booklet begins with a thoughtful consideration of the topic at hand, which is followed up by 30 brief devotions. These devotions are designed to be manageable in an overwhelming time, encouraging, and honest. This Depression and Anxiety edition is authored by Jim Hightower and features insightful devotions by Matt Kelley. The Out of the Depths booklets are essential care resources to be given out by pastors, Stephen Ministers, and congregational care teams. Key Features: Written by metal health professionals and pastors to help the reader process their trauma both psychologically and theologically. Includes accessible material describing the dynamics of the crisis situation and typical reactions, which provides the reader with a sense of grounding and direction through increased knowledge. The thirty short devotions creates a sense of companionship and hope in a difficult and lonely time. Knowing they are sharing a resource written by mental health professionals and pastors with personal experience provides pastors a trustworthy source of information. Easy for pastors/churches to keep in stock and distribute as needed, serves as a tangible reminder of the faith community's care.

The End of Preaching is equal parts instruction and inspiration, offering practical help for every preacher and seminarian, and providing a new way of thinking about the purpose and craft of preaching. Tom Troeger explores the end--or purpose--of preaching as prayer. He gently reveals layer after layer of meaning for the preacher and the practice of preaching, giving deep insight into the preacher's approach, the task of preaching itself, and the impact of preaching on the hearers. This is a book to be studied and savored, a wonderful gift for one's self or any preacher friend.Thomas Troeger delivered the 2016 Beecher Lectures, the nation's most prestigious and influential series of lectures on the topic of preaching. The series was established at Yale University in 1871.

The Out of the Depths series addresses common pastoral crises in a faithful, encouraging, and factual manner that provides support to parishioners in crisis beyond the initial pastoral conversation. These inexpensive 64-page booklets can be given out to parishioners when they bring their recent diagnosis, crisis, or trauma to the pastor as a way to continue to provide care throughout the difficult season. Each booklet begins with a thoughtful consideration of the topic at hand, which is followed up by 30 brief devotions. These devotions are designed to be manageable in an overwhelming time, encouraging, and honest. This Sexual Assault edition features devotions from Emily Flemming, United Methodist clergywoman. The Out of the Depths booklets are essential care resources to be given out by pastors, Stephen Ministers, and congregational care teams. Key Features: Written by metal health professionals and pastors to help the reader process their trauma both psychologically and theologically. Includes accessible material describing the dynamics of the crisis situation and typical reactions, which provides the reader with a sense of grounding and direction through increased knowledge. The thirty short devotions creates a sense of companionship and hope in a difficult and lonely time. Knowing they are sharing a resource written by mental health professionals and pastors with personal experience provides pastors a trustworthy source of information. Easy for pastors/churches to keep in stock and distribute as needed, serves as a tangible reminder of the faith community's care.

The Word & Life series guides Korean readers to study the Bible more deeply and promotes better meditation on how the Bible's teachings can apply to our everyday life. Personal meditation and quiet time will be enhanced, and it will help readers change their lives by listening more closely and understanding God's Word. With study guides included, this series is designed for both individuals and small group study.

The Word & Life series guides Korean readers to study the Bible more deeply and promotes better meditation on how the Bible's teachings can apply to our everyday life. Personal meditation and quiet time will be enhanced, and it will help readers change their lives by listening more closely and understanding God's Word. With study guides included, this series is designed for both individuals and small group study.

Contains new information about unpublished Dead Sea Scrolls recently brought to light with translations of key passages and recent discovery of the movement behind the Scrolls in their own words.

The Inventive Age (the cultural turning following the Agrarian,Industrial, and Information ages) provides opportunities for reshapingall institutions and communities. Doug Pagitt brings to life tenInventive Age characteristics as they are experienced through thecommunity of Solomon's Porch - a holistic missional Christian communityin Minneapolis. These ten characteristics of Inventive Age culture willserve as a guide for those creating new faith communities and makingchanges in existing ones.

We live in changing times of significant cultural change. In theInventive Age (the cultural turning following the Agrarian, Industrial,and Information ages) how people think has changed. This has created anew context for Evangelism. Previous methods not only do not work, theyare often counterproductive.Evangelism in the Inventive Age is not a "e;next-level"e; resource for thosewho are already comfortable and confident evangelists, but is a bookfor the rest of us.For most Christians the issue of converting other people or sharingtheir faith is a troubled endeavor. Very few are in a comfortable placeof natural invitation, faithful integration, and hopefulness in sharingfaith.This book will create a new perspective on evangelism for the ordinaryperson who has extraordinary questions. Evangelism in the Inventive Ageis for those who have deep questions about the validity of evangelismand for whom evangelism does not come naturally.

What kind of communities are we forming? What story are we telling? Howcan we tell it more effectively? Pagitt takes on these questions andinvestigates the goals and roles of preaching in the Inventive Age.From the book: ';I find myself wanting to live with the people of mycommunity, where I can preach but not allow that to become an act ofspeech making. Instead, I want it to be a living interaction of thestory of God and the story of our community being connected by our truthtelling, our vulnerability, and our open minds, ears, and eyes allbrought together by the active work of the Spirit of God.'

Many books seek to predict the future of Christianity, but few help usgrasp the opportunities of the current situation and equip us tonavigate the present. Doug Pagitt, author, radio host, and pioneeringleader, does just that, offering fresh, optimistic insights andpractical suggestions. According to Pagitt, the last two centuries canbe divided into four epochs: Idyllic, Industrial, Informational andnow-Inventive. The Inventive Age - our currently reality - presentsdistinct opportunities for how faith communities think, what they value,and the tools they use. Pagitt offers leaders in Christian communities(and beyond) essential frameworks for participation in the InventiveAge.

Study the entire Book of Revelation starting with John's theology that teaches that Jesus, the exalted Christ, is the center of faith. Some of the major ideas explored are: personal religious experience; the living voice of God in the church today; advocating for what is right; distinguishing between good and evil; God's grace seeks to redeem; and covenant with God.More than 3.5 million copies of the series have been sold.This revision of the Abingdon classic Genesis to Revelation Series is a comprehensive, verse-by-verse, book-by-book study of the Bible based on the NIV. These studies help readers strengthen their understanding and appreciation of the Bible by enabling them to engage the Scripture on three levels:What does the Bible say? Questions to consider while reading the passage for each session.What does the passage mean? Unpacks key verses in the selected passage.How does the Scripture relate to my life? Provides three major ideas that have meaning for our lives today.The meaning of the selected passages are made clear by considering such aspects as ancient customs, locations of places, and the meanings of words. The simple format makes the study easy to use.Updates will include:New cover designs.New interior designs.Leader Guide per matching Participant Book (rather than multiple volumes in one book).Updated to 2011 revision of the New International Version Translation (NIV).Updated references to New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible.Include biblical chapters on the contents page beside session lesson titles for at-a-glance overview of biblical structure.The simple format makes the study easy to use. Each volume is 13 sessions and has a separate leader guide.

The story of Jesus doesn't begin in a manger in Bethlehem. Instead, it first begins hundreds of years before, when God's prophets begin to preach about the coming of the Messiah who would redeem all of humanity. In this study, we will unpack that message of hope and anticipation as it's found in the prophets of Isaiah and Micah and the redeeming story of RuthA Deep Dive into the Story of GodFathom is a Bible study for teens that covers the Old and New Testaments in 18 4-session studies. The lessons are a blend of narrative and traditional theological approaches to understanding the Bible story. Each lesson will focus on one passage that will launch into the larger context of God's story being studied, and how that story is meant to be theirs. Fathom is suitable for groups with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and any combination of the two. But unlike many other resources, it acknowledges the differences between older and younger youth and the way they learn. It provides activities specific to each age group, as well as activities for mixed groups in which older youth have leadership opportunities. Fathom gives leaders the option to let youth take ownership of their learning through teaching and leading alongside adults. Fathom creates space and tension for teens to wrestle with how to interpret and experience the Bible.Through youthministrypartners.com, leaders will have access to planning and teaching tools, customizable content, and other supplemental content to support their use of Fathom as well as their youth ministries in general.

Celebrate 31 days of a Christ-filled Christmas season.