by Paul Kang
If buildings speak without using words, what are our church buildings saying to us today? Taking time and energy to determine what message our buildings communicate might be near the bottom of our …

Unbinding the Gospel: Real Life Evangelism, by Martha Grace Reese (Chalice Press, 2007)
Unbinding the Gospel is for the majority of mainline churches, where members would rather go get a root canal than think about evangelism. …

The Future of Faith, by Harvey Cox (Harper One, 2009)
Harvey Cox begins his book by dividing Christian history into three distinct eras. “The Age of Faith,” beginning with the birth of the church and extending …

If you and your church are looking for books that teach new spiritual rituals for prayer and reflection, you may wish to check these books out.
Sleeping with Bread: Holding What Gives You Life, by Dennis …

The Spark Story Bible contains 150 of the most popular Bible stories. The stories are supplemented with colourful art and creative language.
Throughout this story book, the text is consistently engaging, thought provoking and fun.
The Spark …

A Review by The Rev. Jacqui Foxall
Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers Is Telling the American Church, by Kenda Creasy Dean (Oxford University Press, 2010)
Renowned preacher and theologian John Wesley once described those …

Book review by David Phillips and Jeremy Bellsmith, Resource staff, The Vine
The Emmaus Readers: MORE Listening for God in Contemporary Fiction, edited by Susan M. Felch and Gary D. Schmidt (Paraclete Press, 2009)
Was Christ hidden …

Book review by Tori Smit
OMG: A Youth Ministry Handbook, by Kenda Creasy Dean (editor), Mike Carotta, Roland Martinson, Rodger Nishioka, Don Richter, Dayle Gillespie Rounds, and Amy Scott Vaughn (Abingdon Press, 2010)
Dean describes “OMG” (“Oh …

Book review by Tori Smit
Growing Up Christian: Why Young People Stay in Church, Leave Church, and (Sometimes) Come Back to Church, by John P. Bowen (Regent College Publishing, 2010)
Have you ever asked, “Where are …

by The Rev. Dr. Peter Coutts, Minister,
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Calgary, Alberta
The Practicing Congregation: Imagining a New Old Church
By Diana Butler Bass
Herndon, Virginia: The Alban Institute © 2004.
126 pages, including footnotes and discussion questions.
The bookshelves …