Books published by Augsburg Fortress Publishers

* Ideal for individual and group study and for adult catechesis * Conveniently organized by seasons of the church year * Great stories for sermons * Includes study questions at the end of each chapter

* The third and final book in the best-selling * Includes questions for discussion and additional resources

Dr. Paul Dovre speaks knowingly of the holy restlessness that is inherent in people of faith who wrestle with Gods call even while heeding it. In this collection of sermons, chapel talks, and homecoming homilies selected largely from his years as president of Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, Dovre explores a holy restlessness that is at the very core of our being: A restlessness that comes in trying to reconcile our need for unity as a people and the reality of our diversitya restlessness found in the tension between suffering and hope.

With emphasis on its spiritual and religious dimensions, Apprenticed to Hope: A Sourcebook for Difficult Times, is a compelling compilation of thirty-two essays exploring the nature of hope. Julie Neraas draws from a wide range of sources, offering many different ways to think about hope. She considers hope's relationship with faith, the human imagination, and community; distinguishes authentic hope from optimism and false hope, and draws upon her own experience with chronic illness, as well as what she has learned from places where hope is tested.

Almost everyone has a Last Will and Testament that tells their family and friends what is to become of their property, but few people have thought about the spiritual gifts and memories they'd like to leave their loved ones. Well-known and beloved author Herbert Brokering here shares the spiritual gifts and intimate memories that he'd like to leave to his family and his readers. As he ponders the grace he has received from the people, places, and events of his life he inspires our own reflection on what we wish to leave to our loved ones. Each chapter includes a Bible passage and key questions for reflection.

Perfect for use during Advent or Lent, these volumes includes passages from Scripture and opportunities for reflection and prayer.

* A straight forward process that helps congregations reclaim Lutheran traditions for the 21st century

The goal of this book, says author Charles Lane, is to perform a dramatic rescue of stewardship, freeing it from any connection whatsoever to "paying the bills." When the Bible talks about stewardship it almost always talks about the intimate connection between how a person handles financial matters and that person's relationship with God. Stewardship is an intensely spiritual matter that lies close to a disciple's relationship with Jesus. The book is designed especially for use in congregational planning and study. Congregational stewardship leaders will come back to three foundational verbs - ask, thank, tell - over and over as they help individuals experience the joy of giving generously. The author makes the convincing case that there is little in life today that can help a disciple grow in relationship with Jesus more than a solid intentional biblical stewardship.

Based on a study sponsored by Lutheran Men in Mission, the writers interviewed a cross-section of young men on eleven factors to determine how these factors affected spiritual development and the interaction of faith and life. The book reveals what the interviews uncovered, and the authors analyze what this might mean for ministry to and with young men today. The factors studied were relationships, male mentors, crisis, time management, work, the power of defining moments, nature, sports, spiritual hunger, service, and avocation. Each factor is then explored in depth in order to help young men and those who engage in mentoring them in dialogue about the factors that make for meaning, identity, and spirituality.

Why do men rarely invest time and effort building intentional and mutually supportive friendships? How can men create meaningful friendships? David Bentall explores the experience of three men who have supported each other in friendship for more than twelve years. He chronicles how friendships can inspire, challenge, and have the potential to transform lives. He provides suggestions for initiating long-term, nurturing friendships. Most importantly, Bentall describes the tremendous benefits such friendships have on all areas of a person's life, including family relationships, physical fitness, self-esteem, and spirituality.

The discovery of true joy, says Joe Campeau, begins not by breaking out of the daily grind, but by learning to recognize a joy that is already at hand. Written in an easy conversational style, the author includes compelling personal stories, and illustrates his message by using stories of minor and even anonymous characters from the Gospels. This book nourishes the reader's faith in the place where it matters most - the familiarity of their daily environment.

Bacher and Inskeep believe that mainline denominations serve as caretakers of the important American expressions of Christianity, and if they are weak or lost, society and the universal church will be the worse for it.

Unlike other morning devotions, in which readers digest the words of others, this book teaches readers how to create their own devotional experiences through silence and prayer visualization.