Books published by Mennomedia, Inc.

This carefully researched study on the tabernacle of the Old Testament draws from both Christian and Jewish sources. The author not only probes the nature of the construction of the tabernacle, but also explores its theological meaning in the Old and New Testaments.The unavoidable conclusion the author draws is that the divinely instructed building of the tabernacle was evidence of God's desire to dwell with his people and to lead them. 216 Pages.

What do we do with the Old Testament? How do we read words written in a world so different from ours, stories so ruthless and so filled with grace?In Fire by Night, pastor Melissa Florer-Bixler invites readers to marvel at the Old Testament. Page after page, in stories and poems and prophecies, the Hebrew Scripture introduces us to a God who is unwieldy and uncontrollable, common and extraordinary, and who brings both life and death. Using stories from Scripture and from her ministry, Florer-Bixler braids together the text with the sometimes ordinary, sometimes radical grace of God. The same passages that confuse and horrify and baffle us can, if we are paying attention, lure us closer toward God. This God has traveled with people through cloud and fire, by day and by night, since the beginning of time.The Old Testament is a perplexing book of profound grace, hope, and beauty. It's a book of fire. To read the Old Testament is to draw close to God's love, which continues to burn away our expectations and set us ablaze. This God has traveled with people through pillars of cloud and fire, by day and by night, since the days of the exodus.

Are you rapture ready?As a teenager in the buckle of the Bible Belt, Zack Hunt was convinced the rapture would happen at any moment. Being ready meant never missing church, never sinning, and always listening to Christian radio.But when the rapture didn't happen, Hunt's tightly wound faith began to fray. If he had been wrong about the rapture, what else about his faith might not hold water?Part memoir, part tour of the apocalypse, and part call to action, Unraptured traces how the church's focus on escaping to heaven has it mired in decay. Teetering on the brink of irrelevancy in a world rocked by refugee crises, climate change, war and rumors of war, the church cannot afford to focus on the end times instead of following Jesus in the here and now. Unraptured uses these signs of the times to help readers reorient their understanding of the gospel around loving and caring for the least of these.

Is self-care different from being selfish or self-indulgent? Is it the same as caring for your soul? And what does self-care look like in light of following Jesus, who called his followers to deny themselves? In Four Gifts, pastor and author April Yamasaki addresses these and other questions about self-care. Drawing on the ancient scriptural command to love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength, Yamasaki helps readers think about the spiritual dimensions of attending to your own needs, setting priorities, and finding true rest in a fast-paced world. She weaves together personal stories, biblical and theological insights, questions for reflection, and practical ideas for self-care. Four Gifts helps readers sustain their spirits and balance competing demands. Feeling overwhelmed by the pace and stress of daily life? Find respite from superficial definitions of self-care and move toward deeper engagement with God.

The anniversary edition of a classic text about Jesus, radical discipleship, and allegiance to God rather than nation, wealth, or religion.

In 1991, Ahmed Ali Haile returned to the chaos of his native Somalia with a clear mission: to bring warring clans together to find new paths of peace--often over a cup of tea. A grenade thrown by a detractor cost Haile his leg and almost his life, but his stature as a peacemaker remained.Whether in Somali's capital, Mogadishu, or among Somalis in Kenya, Europe, and the United States, Haile has been a tireless ambassador for the peace of Christ. Into this moving memoir of conversion and calling, Haile weaves poignant reflections on the meaning of his journey in the world of Islam. 144 Pages.

Exploring the mission of two communities. David W. Shenk examines Islam and Christianity at their deepest spiritual, cultural, and communal levels. Shenk explores the similarities and differences found in Isaac and Ishmael, Jesus and Muhammad, the Bible and the Qur'an, Jersusalem and Medina, and the Eucharist and the Hajj. 284 pages.

Menno Simons was first a Catholic priest. As he read and studied the Bible, Menno began to understand the Christian life in a different way. Eventually he became an Anabaptist preacher. Soon, Menno Simons became the leader of the Anabaptists, now known as Mennonites. 138 pages.

Jacob Hochstetler is a peace-loving Amish settler on the Pennsylvania frontier when Native American warriors, goaded on by the hostilities of the French and Indian War, attack his family one September night in 1757. Taken captive by the warriors and grieving for the family members just killed, Jacob finds his beliefs about love and nonresistance severely tested.Jacob endures a hard winter as a prisoner in an Indian longhouse. Meanwhile, some members of his congregation-the first Amish settlement in America-move away for fear of further attacks.Based on actual events, Jacob''s Choice describes how one man''s commitment to pacifism leads to a season of captivity, a complicated romance, an unrelenting search for missing family members, and an astounding act of forgiveness and reconciliation. 392 Pages.

Katherine Willis Pershey has never slept with the mailman or kissed an ex-boyfriend. Good thing, since she’s married. But simply not committing adultery does not give you the keys to “happily ever after,” as Pershey has come to find out in her own marriage and in her work as a pastor. What is this sacred covenant that binds one person to another, and what elements of faith and fidelity sustain it? In Very Married: Field Notes on Love and Fidelity, Pershey opens the book on all things marital. With equal parts humor and intelligence, Pershey speaks frankly about the challenges and consolations of modern marriage. As she shares her own tales of bliss and blunder, temptation and deliverance, Pershey invites readers to commit once again to the joyful and difficult work of cherishing another person. For better or worse. For life.  352 Pages.

Does God’s perfect plan really include this? When her young son was diagnosed with brain cancer, Jessica Kelley couldn’t stomach Christian clichés. God’s will? Divine design? The Lord’s perfect plan? In Lord Willing?, Kelley boldly tackles one of the most difficult questions of the Christian life: if God is all-powerful and all-loving, why do we suffer? For Kelley, this question takes an even more painful and personal turn: did God lack the power or the desire to spare her four-year-old son? For those dissatisfied with easy answers to why evil and tragedy occur, Lord Willing? offers a refreshing, hopeful journey straight to the heart of God. Be prepared for something more beautiful, more pure, and more healing that you can dare to imagine. 296 Pages.

Polly Miller doesn''t want to move to Texas. No other Amish families live in Lone Prairie, and Polly loves her family and friends in Ohio. But her father''s mind is made up. As Polly settles into her new life, she gains a non-Amish friend, Rose Ann, who shares her dresses and makeup with Polly. She also earns the attention of a young hired hand named Tom, who takes her to a rodeo and tells her how pretty she is. Will Polly commit herself to God by following her family''s Amish ways, or will a budding Texas romance set her feet on a different path altogether? Ages 10 and up. Key Points: - Series has sold more than half a million copies - Books in the series are all based on the author''s own Amish childhood - Read and beloved by young and old in Amish and Mennonite communities - Updated covers and contemporary language for today''s readers - New Pennsylvania Dutch glossary - Fans of Amish fiction and Laura Ingalls Wilder''s Little House on the Prairie series will especially enjoy this classic series. 176 Pages.