Samuel Wells shares his vision for the Church as imagined by HeartEdge, the growing network of churches established by St Martin-in-the-Fields, with its fourfold focus for renewing the mission activity of the church: commerce, culture, congregation and compassion.
A Future that’s Bigger than the Past sets out a vision for renewing the local church that is energising, realistic and practical for small and large congregations alike. In response to prevailing narratives of decline, it reimagines how the church can live its vocation of receiving the abundance God gives us, and sharing that abundance far and wide. It recognises the surprising, exuberant and plentiful things that the Holy Spirit is doing in the world and calls the church to celebrate creation, enjoy culture and share in their flourishing. With a rich theological foundation and borne out in the practical experience of a growing number of local church communities, this groundbreaking book will enable churches to discover fresh ways in which they can become a blessing to the communities they serve.
An Instant New York Times Bestseller “This book will change your sense of how grand the sweep of human history could be, where you fit into it, and how much you could do to change it for the better. It's as simple, and as ambitious, as that.” —Ezra Klein An Oxford philosopher makes the case for “longtermism” — that positively influencing the long-term future is a key moral priority of our time. The fate of the world is in our hands. Humanity’s written history spans only five thousand years. Our yet-unwritten future could last for millions more — or it could end tomorrow. Astonishing numbers of people could lead lives of great happiness or unimaginable suffering, or never live at all, depending on what we choose to do today. In What We Owe The Future, philosopher William MacAskill argues for longtermism, that idea that positively influencing the distant future is a key moral priority of our time. From this perspective, it’s not enough to reverse climate change or avert the next pandemic. We must ensure that civilization would rebound if it collapsed; counter the end of moral progress; and prepare for a planet where the smartest beings are digital, not human. If we make wise choices today, our grandchildren’s grandchildren will thrive, knowing we did everything we could to give them a world full of justice, hope and beauty.
Dan Sullivan and Catherine Nomura address the need for continuous personal growth, and show you how to lead a more fulfilling personal and work life. They provide encouragement, buttressed by personal stories about people who have faced the challenges or made the personal discoveries described in each chapter. The authors tell you how to live life with an inquiring mind and a desire to serve others. They offer 10 "laws" you can use to measure your success by assessing the ways you benefit others. If you need help making this constant journey at your own speed, slip this small book into your briefcase and consult it along the way. getAbstract recommends this quick read to stimulate your desire to accomplish great things.
A scriptural, common-sense approach that encourages Christians to let go of their hurts and regrets and move forward into the life God intended them to have.
God’s Story Will End Better than It Began . . . Experienced Bible teacher Nancy Guthrie traces 9 themes throughout the Bible, revealing how God’s plan for the new creation will be far more glorious than the original. But this new creation glory isn’t just reserved for the future. The hope of God’s plan for his people transforms everything about our lives today.
Finding a renewed Christian story in a time of skepticism and doubt Is Christianity just a fairy tale for the infantile? Or worse, a cruel fantasy—the perpetrator of terrible harm and the cause of endless conflict? At the very least, one path among many? Such questions reflect the skepticism of outsiders and the doubts of insiders—some perennial, some underscored by recent events and movements. The answer to these objections isn’t a louder faith to shout them down—it’s a humbler faith that points to a bigger God. Samuel Wells illustrates this through his generous, respectful, and earnest engagement with ten difficult questions about Christianity. In each case he portrays the traditional position and the skepticism of the modern age as two rival stories. Transcending both, he then offers a revitalized Christian story that better renders the radical, courageous, and vulnerable nature of authentic faith. Wells is unwaveringly honest about the failures of the institutional church and acknowledges many people’s negative prior experiences of Christianity—making this a book for both Christians and non-Christians who have found the stories of their lives disrupted and now seek a fulfilling and truthful story to live by.
In It's Bigger Than Hip Hop, M. K. Asante, Jr. looks at the rise of a generation that sees beyond the smoke and mirrors of corporate-manufactured hip hop and is building a movement that will change not only the face of pop culture, but the world. Asante, a young firebrand poet, professor, filmmaker, and activist who represents this movement, uses hip hop as a springboard for a larger discussion about the urgent social and political issues affecting the post-hip-hop generation, a new wave of youth searching for an understanding of itself outside the self-destructive, corporate hip-hop monopoly. Through insightful anecdotes, scholarship, personal encounters, and conversations with youth across the globe as well as icons such as Chuck D and Maya Angelou, Asante illuminates a shift that can be felt in the crowded spoken-word joints in post-Katrina New Orleans, seen in the rise of youth-led organizations committed to social justice, and heard around the world chanting "It's bigger than hip hop."
We all have a past. We've all made mistakes and done things we wish we hadn't done. We all wish we could just push a "delete" button on some of the choices we made yesterday and some of the things we've experienced years ago. What's more, our past has a way of shaping who we are today. It's amazing how one single dramatic experience of rejection in childhood can last through adulthood and forever alter our self-image or how one bad decision in college can overshadow the dreams of the future, even God-given dreams. Terri Savelle Foy knows that past hurts (whether brought on by someone else or our choice to sin) can undermine us. Raised a church kid, she knew all about sin but made the mistakes anyway. She learned firsthand that it's not until we truly get a revelation of who we are in Christ, and apply it to our lives, that our past can be erased and our dreams become real again. Terri shows how we can let go of our past, change our self-image and confidently move into a future with hope.