Books published by Abingdon Press

What do Christian teenagers believe today about Jesus Christ? And what difference does that belief make in their life? Research shows that most teenagers do not understand the basic core beliefs of Christianity and often express misgivings of their own faith. How do we help teens connect with the significance and importance of Jesus Christ? Jesus is a four-week study designed to help teens encounter the basic truths about who Jesus is and why that matters in their lives. Through group study and daily devotions, found in the Groove: Jesus Student Journal, teenagers will begin to understand the significance of Christ and how that relates to their daily walk. The Groove Bible study series invites teens to learn the essentials of their faith, own their story, and engage the world in serving Jesus. Each topical study consists of four weekly sessions that are easy to lead and relate to life issues teens face. With up to 48 weeks available, Groove is great for Sunday and mid-week gatherings for both large and small groups as well as retreats.The student journal contains session-specific questions, background information, and daily devotions for each session.

Temptations are all around us; and facing those temptations is never easy, especially for teenagers. While simply avoiding temptation would make life a lot easier, it can be very hard for teens, who are still developing socially, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually, and physically. Temptation is a four-week study designed to help teens navigate and overcome the daily temptations they battle. Greed, pride, envy, and lust are challenges we all face; so understanding the spiritual implications of those temptations can help our youth thrive in their spiritual lives as they move into adulthood. The Groove: Temptation Student Journal provides exercises and daily devotions that help teens deal with the temptations they face as they learn to develop a maturing faith in Christ. The Groove Bible study series invites teens to learn the essentials of their faith, own their story, and engage the world in serving Jesus. Each topical study consists of four weekly sessions that are easy to lead and relate to life issues teens face. With up to 48 weeks available, Groove is great for Sunday and mid-week gatherings for both large and small groups as well as retreats. The student journal contains session-specific questions, background information, and daily devotions for each session.

Teach teens the essentials of their faith.

Teach teens the essentials of their faith.

Grace is a church word that sometimes gets lost in the world of teenagers. Research shows that most teenagers have embraced a system of belief in which being a follower of Jesus is defined by behavior, instead of the grace of God offered through Christ. Grace is designed to show youth that grace is a real, practical force in their lives even in the midst of brokenness, fear, doubt, and stress. These key factors can often become major stumbling blocks for youth if they are not equipped with the tools to understand how God's grace operates in each of these areas. Each lesson in the Groove: Grace Student Journal includes daily devotions and reflections to help young people work through the issues raised. Sometimes the lessons leave youth with more reflection and processing to do; such challenges help youth develop a maturing, deepening faith that will last into adulthood. The Groove Bible study series invites teens to learn the essentials of their faith, own their story, and engage the world in serving Jesus. Each topical study consists of four weekly sessions that are easy to lead and relate to life issues teens face. With up to 48 weeks available, Groove is great for Sunday and mid-week gatherings for both large and small groups as well as retreats. The student journal contains session-specific questions, background information, and daily devotions for each session.

If you have been in youth ministry for any length of time, you will quickly learn the one thing that teenagers value most: their relationships. As they move into a world of independence, these relationships help shape their identity and affect their lives for the future. Relationships looks at the key relationships that youth have with their families, friends, and members of the opposite sex. All youth have relationship stories; and the reality is that we can help them navigate those relationships, whether they come from great circumstances or challenging ones. The daily devotions and exercises in the Groove: Relationships Student Journal are designed to help youth dig deeper into the ideas presented in the weekly lessons and move them toward more thoughtful relationships. The Groove Bible study series invites teens to learn the essentials of their faith, own their story, and engage the world in serving Jesus. Each topical study consists of four weekly sessions that are easy to lead and relate to life issues teens face. With up to 48 weeks available, Groove is great for Sunday and mid-week gatherings for both large and small groups as well as retreats.The student journal contains session-specific questions, background information, and daily devotions for each session.

Jessie Hart worked so hard to put her Louisiana roots in the rearview mirror and her Adornments boutique on the map. So when renegade ';husband' Jack turns up again, the new and improved Jessie catches his attention. As he fights through his residual legal battles, he makes every effort to win her back and marry her for real this time... before Danny gets the chance. When a celebrity stylist with her own reality show makes Adornments a hot spot, Jessie's hard work is finally paying off. But amid award shows and photo shoots, Jessie's beloved grandfather is diagnosed with cancer and she's nudged back to the Louisiana roots she worked so hard to escape. Now, in her quest to find the success, true love, and faith that has always eluded her, will God really lead her right back home?

Serves as a daily prayer book for personal use at home and also for those participating in a Wesleyan class meeting or covenant discipleship group. Its uniqueness lies in adding the practice of daily prayer and accountability within the Sunday morning adult education program. Class members participate in ordered daily prayer within the Wesleyan spirit. "This Day contains 31 forms of prayer, one for each day of the month drawn from: John Wesley's "1738 Forms of Prayer for Every Day of the Week, The 1784 Order for Morning Prayer, The United Methodist Book of Worship, The Book of Common Prayer, The IONA and Taize Communities, the Benedictine tradition, the Eastern Orthodox tradition, and contemporary sources. Not UM specific; based on the revised common lectionary and the daily lectionary of the "Book of Common Prayer.

Correcting the misinterpretation of Arminius.

When a cyclist clips into the pedals, a huge risk is involved because he or she must learn a new way to achieve balance and momentum. Creating a culture of hospitality within your church involves the same intricate process. Not only do balance and momentum go hand-in-hand, one can't exist without the other. Growing a church requires the same kind of delicate interplay: balancing attention toward existing members and generating momentum through reaching new people. Without both, the church won't grow. Creating a culture of hospitality involves risk and relearning old habits, but facilitating both will yield fruitful results.

Be the kind of church that families want to attend, where the church's dynamic faith invites families who will then bring their friends. Vital churches need all kinds of families: two-parent families, blended families, boomerang families, adult children of divorce and their families or lack of families, single adults whose family is the church, grandparents parenting again, childless families, and children with three legal parents. With practical helps and suggestions for ministries, worship, small groups, and even facilities, author and family expert Linda Ranson Jacobs will help you create a welcoming place for everyone.

The Youth Ministry "e;movement"e; has become a monument. Youth leaders are doing so much work, and it all seems worthy. It's big, important stuff. But leaders across the nation quietly suspect that the more we do, the less effective we seem to be in reaching young people. All those retreats and camps, books and seminars, conferences and leadership symposiums-what difference do they make in young lives today? As technology accelerates, spiritual apathy increases. Young people are biblically illiterate, bored, and find the church to be irrelevant. Parents are frustrated. Youth leaders are burned out. And high school and college students-if they ever attended--are leaving the church by the droves. What on earth has gone wrong?Youth Ministry: What's Gone Wrong & How to Get It Right shines a revealing light on standard youth ministry practices, and helps the reader to see what needs to change. The book is full of practical ideas that work in real churches, and includes 'voices from the trenches'-perspectives from current youth ministry leaders. Deep down inside, young people want life to matter. The church has something important to offer, but we have to start getting it right.

The scope of this book is to address only the physical skills, the one area that most people can master relatively quickly, regardless of their skill level in other areas.

For individual or group use"e;It is my hope that this book will provide at least fifty ways you may take steps in a lifelong walk with God. It is written for you, the seeker and sojourner, as well as you, the church leader, youth minister, retreat facilitator, or worship planner. It is for all of us who thought we only knew one way to pray."e; --from the introductionThe explosion of interest today in Christian mystics, ancient prayer practices, and guided meditations speaks to a need for more hands-on tools that will help us pray in traditional as well as new and exciting ways. This book is intended to address that need.Each of the exercises includes not only instructions on how to use it as a prayer practice, but also some background, an introduction, a statement of intention, and tips to help you become comfortable with the practice. For those of you wanting to lead these practices in a group, there are special instructions and information in the Leader's Guide at the end of the book. "e;Rich with wisdom drawn from the wellsprings of Western spirituality, this remarkable book is a sustained experience of spiritual direction offered by a seasoned spiritual guide."e; -John S. Mogabgab, editor of Weavings journal "e;This book does more than point to ways of prayer; it serves as encouragement, guide, and partner for those who want to connect in prayer in ways that move beyond words."e; -Doug Pagitt, author of BodyPrayer and pastor of Solomon's Porch"e;This is a basic, balanced, and accessible guide to the variety, promise, and practice of prayer. Read it to deepen your understanding of prayer; use it to deepen your life in God."e; -Frederick W. Schmidt, author of What God Wants for Your LifeClick here to read a sampleTable of ContentsTeresa A. Blythe is a writer, spiritual director, and frequent conference speaker on topics of popular culture and spirituality. She has co-authored Meeting God in Virtual Reality and Watching What We Watch, along with numerous essays and reviews for Beliefnet, Spirituality & Health, and Publishers Weekly. Teresa serves as Program Coordinator for the Hesychia School of Spiritual Direction at the Redemptorist Renewal Center in Tucson, AZ.

Theological education has always been vital to the Church's life and mission; yet today it is in crisis, lacking focus, direction, but also resources and even students. In the early Church, there is no doubt that to lead worship one had to be able to read and interpret the Bible. In order to lead, it was necessary to know at least something about the history of Israel and the work of God in the Gospels, and interpret that history, making it relevant to daily living. Quickly the Church developed schools for its teachers, whether lay or clergy. A catechetical system was organized through which candidates prepared for baptism were given a basic form of theological education. Hence to be a Christian meant persons knew what and why they believed. But over the years, theological education has come to mean education for clergy and church professionals. It has drifted, seeking new moorings.

Given the way many in the West have read the New Testament in the last century, the church might be regarded as an afterthought at best. But at the worst, it can be viewed as an unnecessary, perhaps even problematic, institutionalization of genuine faith especially in our post-denominational context. These perspectives fly in the face of the robust ecclesiological concerns and commitments of the New Testament documents when read as witnesses from, to, and for congregations of God's people. For Wall, the problem is spiritual because fewer go to find God in church. Why the church? Because this peculiar fellowship of saints, whose loving communion is with the risen One, has been appointed by the triune God as God's herald. With its sacred vocation, every demonstration of the church's oneness, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity--each eschatological mark enabled and brought to maturity by God's grace--is the concrete means to address our theological crisis. This book will contribute to New Testament studies but also serve related discussions in theology and church history. Reframing New Testament Theology is a series that fulfills the need for brief, substantive, yet highly accessible introductions to central questions and themes raised by New Testament study.

Brad Stevens is a great coach, admired and respected for developing winning teams year after year.His patience and never-give-up attitude will take him a long way as Coach of the Boston Celtics. -Larry Bird, Boston Celtics 1978-1992; President, Basketball Operations Indiana Pacers Coach Brad Stevens made Butler Universitythe first team to make 2 consecutive finals of the NCAA basketball tournament without being seeded #1 or #2. Lead Like Butler is a must read for any college basketball fan. -Chris Coddington,Fellowship of Christian Athletes...a must read forthose who desire to win in life, as well as in the arena of competition. -Jim McCoy, KDOV-TV& KDOV-FMWhat becomes quickly apparent is that the enduring ideas of humility, passion, teamwork, service, gratitude, and accountability prove applicable tenants in all aspects of life.-James M. Danko, President, Butler UniversityAnyone who desires a more authentic pathway toward leadership and excellence will benefit from learning to "e;Lead Like Butler."e;-Michael Coyner, bishop, Indiana Area of The United Methodist ChurchButler's rise to the top wasn't a fluke. This is amust read for others wanting to achieve greatness.-Billy Shepherd, Butler University, Class of 1972, and Indiana's "e;Mr. Basketball-1968"e;Whether at work, at home, or even at play, the values of humility, passion, unity, service, thankfulness, and accountability can help you shape your group into a successful example for others.-Jamie Phillippe, Board of Trustees, Butler University, Class of 1973Lead Like Butler is an important contribution to the canon of leadership literature on and off the hardwood.-Jennifer L. Bougher, Esq. Arent Fox, LLP (New York),member ofButler University Alumni Association Board of Directors

Dr. Anna McIntyre's life was going along just fine until someone else started living it. Her patient dies because of an identity mix-up, her medical career is in jeopardy because of forged prescriptions, and her credit is in ruins. Her determination to clear her name might be a prescription for trouble.