NHP Resource Center

New Hope Presbytery Resource Center
New Books - Week of May 2, 2008

Click here to go to the Resource Center where all of these books are available to be checked out

Ask, Thank, Tell

Improving Stewardship ministry
in Your Congregation

Ask, Thank, Tell is a straightforward, easy-to-read stewardship guide that ought to be placed in the hands of every seminarian, pastor, and congregation leader. Lane gives biblically grounded practical advice that, if followed, would transform the church. The emphasis is on mission, not maintenance; discipleship, not membership: and the giver's need to give, not the church's need to receive. The author advocates a biblically based primary relationship with Jesus Christ that includes open, basic, plain, and ongoing talk about money.

—Jerry Hoffman, coordinator for "Stewardship in the 21st Century," A Luther Seminary Web-based Ministry

Christian leaders struggle not only to acquire new skills and insights but also to unlearn what they already know. As both the church and the world change, so too must Christian leaders and their very notions of leadership change as well.
Veteran church growth expert Eddie Gibbs maps out how Christian leadership must change in light of new global realities. Styles of leadership are changing, from hierarchies to networks and from compartmentalization to connectivity. Gibbs assesses the dynamics of leadership teams, identifies healthy leadership traits, and looks to how new leaders are identified and developed. This incisive analysis is a comprehensive resource for current and emerging leaders serving in churches, parachurch organizations and beyond.

In this new addition to the popular For Today series, Old Testament scholar Beth LaNeel Tanner opens the world of the psalms to contemporary read¬ers. Tanner focuses on major themes in the book of Psalms, exploring the mean-ings of the psalms when they were written and the different ways these beloved writings continue to comfort and challenge believers today. The book is ideal for personal and group study, with questions for discussion at the end of each chapter.

"THE FIRST AND BASIC ACT OF THEOLOGICAL WORK IS PRAYER"

So claimed Karl Barth in his last lecture series Evangelical Theology: An Introduction. But how did this preeminent theolo¬gian, widely considered o ne of the most influential theologians of the modern era, craft and present his own public prayers?

This collection for the first time makes Barth's pastoral prayers available to an English-speaking audience, offering a fresh per¬spective on how the Swiss theologian understood and practiced this central element of Christian life. Nearly fifty years since they were first spoken, these prayers continue to resound with direct and impassioned words that will comfort and challenge Christians today. The prayers are organized thematically and according to seasons of the liturgical year, making them ideal for both group use and individual reflection.

"In this thoughtful compilation you will find a rich selection of prayers culled directly, or paraphrased and adapted, from several Bible translations. The purpose throughout is to 'allow God's word to enter our hearts and to permeate all our thoughts and actions.' In addition to its value for personal use, this little book offers a fine tool for teaching Scripture-based prayer within the congregation along with some exceptional litanies for corporate worship."

—The Reverend Marjorie J. Thompson, author of Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life

From the pen of one of the world's most beloved Christian writers, this book-by-book guide ably and engagingly introduces beginners to the essential purpose and message of each New Testament writing.

From the Gospels through Revelation, William Barclay paints a vivid picture of the circumstances that gave rise to each book and offers illuminating insights into the meanings of key words, enabling his readers to discern and follow the central concerns of each text. His insights into the New Testament, combined with his vibrant writing style, have enlightened readers of all ages for over half a century.