Academy Recommends

Micro Practices for Justice Ministry

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 20:26:44 GMT

Available May 2025; Preorder Now!

Big change starts with small acts.

What if the most profound changes in justice ministry come not from grand gestures, but from the small, faithful acts we practice every day? Micro Practices for Justice Ministry is a powerful resource that challenges the idea that only big, sweeping actions lead to real change. In this inspiring book, you'll discover how small, everyday acts—done well and consistently—can transform justice ministry in profound ways. Drawing on interviews with 40 pastors from diverse ministry contexts, this book highlights how micro practices—simple, intentional actions—have the power to reshape communities and advance justice.

Rooted in scripture and theology, Micro Practices for Justice Ministry presents hundreds of actionable practices that can be easily integrated into everyday ministry. From one-on-one conversations to small group efforts, these seemingly small actions, when practiced consistently, build momentum that drives meaningful change. Each practice is shared through engaging narrative stories, bringing the experiences of real pastors to life and demonstrating the lasting impact of doing the "small stuff" with intention.

Perfect for clergy, laity, and community organizers alike, this book offers both practical tools and spiritual encouragement for those committed to justice. Whether you're leading a congregation, working in your community, or studying ministry, this book will help you see that real transformation often starts with the smallest of steps.

Psalms for Black Lives

Wed, 18 May 2022 20:38:31 GMT

In the summer of 2020, while composing a series of devotionals on the Psalms for their church, the Double Love Experience, authors Gabby Cudjoe Wilkes and Andrew Wilkes recognized that these ancient words spoke truth and inspiration not only to their immediate community, but also to the growing number of people doing the holy, demanding work of pursuing justice, undoing structural racism, and building a society that truly values Black lives.

The Psalms speak power today as they always have. They have spoken across generations. They have bridged cultural divides and social contexts with their emotional rawness, urge towards justice, and blunt candor about the coarse edges of walking with God.

Psalms for Black Lives includes thirty devotions, each containing a psalm, a reflection, and an invitation for the reader to develop a justice imagination through further engagement with the text. Psalms for Black Lives also includes daily discussion questions to support small-group study and a guide for congregational and community groups who want to embody the words of the Psalms together.

Sacred Conversation

Wed, 18 May 2022 20:38:09 GMT

God created humans with the desire to both know others and be known. People weren't meant to go it alone on their spiritual journeys, and God has provided many fellow travelers to accompany us.

Some of these fellow pilgrims—spiritual directors—are called to walk the spiritual path with others. The spiritual director, however, does not seek to tell their counterpart how to live out the faith. Instead, the spiritual director accompanies others on their spiritual journey and helps them discover how God may be working in their lives. The spiritual director listens, notices, encourages, asks questions, and prays for the person receiving spiritual direction.

In Sacred Conversation, readers will learn what spiritual direction is and what it isn't. They will explore spiritual practices that have helped people for hundreds of years develop a closer relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Marsha Crockett introduces readers to seven gifts of spiritual direction: awakening, hospitality, story, pilgrimage, silence, meditation, and belonging.

Each chapter contains reflection questions for individuals to use in conversation with their spiritual director, as prompts for journaling, or for sharing with small groups.

Everyday Contemplative

Wed, 18 May 2022 20:38:01 GMT

What does it mean to live a contemplative life? How does someone become contemplative? Does being contemplative mean sitting around thinking about God all day? Does it require living a simple or even austere life, like a monk or a nun?

Roger Owens challenges readers to expand their definition of contemplative living to encompass all ways of seeking to be more open, available, and responsive to God. God may be found just as easily in an office cubicle, a donut shop, or a laundry room as in a monastic cell.

In Everyday Contemplative, Owens presents seven characteristics of contemplative living: longing, attention, patience, playfulness, vulnerability, nonjudgment, and freedom. One ingredient he considers essential to the contemplative life is sharing it with others, and this book invites readers to discover the joys of contemplative living.

The Upper Room Disciplines 2023

Wed, 18 May 2022 20:37:36 GMT

Strength for Your Spiritual Journey

Center your heart and mind on God each day with The Upper Room Disciplines. Readings in this year-long devotional will awaken and strengthen your awareness of God’s presence in your daily life. Each week a different Christian thought leader offers daily meditations, scripture readings, and prayers that will help you engage God’s Word.

Based on the Revised Common Lectionary, a three-year cycle of Sunday scripture readings, Disciplines features: a focal scripture passage for each day, short daily meditations from 53 thought leaders from diverse Christian traditions, a reflection or prayer to carry with you each day, weekly scripture overviews, an index of scripture readings, and a guide to daily prayer.

Among the writers for the 2023 edition of Disciplines are Hannah Adair Bonner, Tex Sample, Barbara Brown Taylor, Elizabeth Corrie, Bishop Karen Oliveto, Richard Morgan, Chanequa Walker-Barnes, and Peter Wallace.

Rally

Wed, 18 May 2022 14:31:55 GMT

"This is a prayer book for revolution—a revolution of love and compassion and justice," Shane Claiborne writes in the foreword. The prayers in this collection are meant to be prayed in community.

Rally is a prayer book for faith communities searching for words to respond to the injustices around them. It's a prayer book for Christian activists who believe in putting feet to their prayers. The book supplies words for concerned Christians who yearn to lift their voices to God about such issues as racism; the abuse of power and privilege; mistreatment of migrants and refugees; lives tragically lost; our violent society; white supremacy; and people being marginalized because of their gender, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, or economic status. Rally contains prayers for perpetrators, for loving our bodies, for listening to one another, for those who have been wounded by the church. In this resource, readers will find prayers that evoke hope and connection, guidance for sifting through the news and social media headlines, laments about destruction of the earth, and pleas for loving alike though we don't think alike.

The beauty of this book lies in the rich variety of voices and experiences of its writers—leaders who work at the intersection of Christianity and social justice and who want to resource those who gather to lament the needs and celebrate the possibilities of a better world. "Lord, stir us up to holy action," cries this powerful book. Rally spurs people to compassionately continue the important work of loving God and neighbor until all of God's people feel safe and seen.

Practicing Compassion

Sat, 14 May 2022 00:15:19 GMT

Praise for Practicing Compassion

Everybody believes in compassion, but nobody tells you how to practice it. Until now. Frank Rogers turns compassion into a doable, daily practice—as simple as catching your breath and taking your pulse. If you want to read a book that actually has the capacity to change your life (and the world), beginning today, this is the book to read.

—Brian D. McLaren
Author/speaker/blogger/activist (brianmclaren.net)

If you want clear, practical guidance on how to cultivate the inner resources to become a healing presence and force of good for the world, there is no better book than this and no better guide than Frank Rogers.

—John Makransky
Professor of Comparative Theology, Boston College
Author of Awakening through Love

Compassion is more than a sympathetic feeling—it's the bond of human connection. Most religions lift up compassion, yet few people actually teach how to practice it.

Through rich and moving stories of people from various faiths, Frank Rogers shows ways to incorporate compassion in our daily lives. His interfaith perspective on mercy, kindness, and caring for one another trains us to Pay attention, Understand empathically, Love with connection, Sense the sacredness, and Embody new life (PULSE).

Spoken into Being

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:51:13 GMT

"Tell me a story." Countless parents and grandparents have heard that request from children. People of all ages are captivated by a good story.

Storytelling helps us makes sense of the events of our lives, the world around us, and God. When we tell stories, we speak a world into being—just as God did in the creation accounts in the book of Genesis.

"Everyone is a storyteller," says author Michael Williams. You don't have to be a professional storyteller to be able to tell good stories. In this book on storytelling as spiritual exploration, Williams shares stories from his life and offers practical prompts that guide us to tell our own stories. He reminds us that we have been spoken into being as part of a much larger story. Using poetry, personal narrative, and retellings of biblical stories, Williams leads us to a deeper knowledge of the power of narrative.

The stories that capture our attention shape us into who we are now and the persons we will become. Not all stories serve us well, however. Stories of fear stop us in our tracks and become roadblocks on the journey, while stories of fantasy, no matter how alluring, are dead-end streets.

Spoken into Being points to a path beyond fear and fantasy, a way toward encounters with God, in whom all things are being made new.

A Bead and a Prayer

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:51:06 GMT

NOTE: Prayer beads are sold separately. Order beads at Kristen's site: www.prayerworksstudio.etsy.com.

Do you ever struggle with prayer? Maybe your mind wanders, you wonder if God even hears your prayers, or you just don't know what to pray.

A Bead and a Prayer introduces Protestant prayer beads as a tool for connecting with God. This 4-week Bible study is designed for people with no experience in using prayer beads. You will discover answers to such questions as:

Why use prayer beads?
Is it really okay for Protestants to use beads in prayer?
What do the beads mean?
How do I use prayer beads?

Other features of the book include

a brief history of the use of prayer beads
easy instructions for making prayer beads
prayers and devotions to use with the beads
resources for making or purchasing your own set of prayer beads

Praying with beads may be exactly what you need to stay focused in your prayers. Consider sharing this experience with your prayer or Bible study group. Youth also enjoy making the prayer beads and learning to use them. The book includes a Leader's Guide for groups.

God Unbound

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:41:50 GMT

How can the church stay in step with the Spirit during a time of unprecedented change?

The apostle Paul led the Galatians through a massive cultural shift in which they had to radically expand their ideas of who God is, who they were, and God's mission for the church. He was able to lead them through this time of great change because of his encounter with the risen Christ on the Damascus road, an experience in which his view of God was completely upended.

Today Christianity is undergoing a cultural shift just as challenging as the situation confronting Paul and the Galatians. As many churches decline, congregations and pastors feel uncertain and anxious about how to continue their mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ.

Elaine Heath extends an invitation to broaden our view of God by moving beyond the walls of buildings and programs to become a more diverse church than we have ever imagined. While deeply honoring tradition, she calls the church to boldly follow the Holy Spirit's leadership into the future. Heath offers practical advice and hope for how the church can move through anxiety to courageous, culturally sensitive, and Spirit-led engagement in our rapidly changing world.

Reflection questions make this book ideal for a 6- to 9-week small-group study.

The Cycle of Grace

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:37:56 GMT

Are you soul-weary? Do you struggle to make time for God in the midst of a packed schedule? Or do you sometimes stay so busy doing things for God that you can't relax and just "be"?

Jesus faced amazing pressure and overwhelming demands throughout his ministry, but he did not experience the burnout so common today among Christian ministers and laypersons.

You can learn the rhythm of living that Jesus demonstrates — the Cycle of Grace — throughout the Gospels. Use this workbook and accompanying video about the Cycle of Grace either individually or in a small group.

The Cycle of Grace examines 4 components of a grace-filled life:

Acceptance
Sustenance
Significance
Fruitfulness

Trevor Hudson, a dynamic pastor, author, and speaker, introduces each part of the Cycle of Grace in a short video segment (available on YouTube). The video segments are titled as follows:

In the workbook Jerry Haas provides practical exercises for individuals and groups, complete with suggestions for journaling and preparing for group sessions.

This 6-week study will help you

know that God loves you
nurture your spiritual life
understand who you are called to be in the world
learn how to restore balance to your life

The workbook includes a Leader's Guide and several useful appendixes. A must-have resource for clergy and lay leaders, The Cycle of Grace is also an excellent text for seminary and college classes preparing students for ministry.

The Soulmaking Room

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:37:16 GMT

In this personal story, Dee Dee Risher weaves experiences from her life with the biblical story of the prophet Elisha and the Shunammite woman. Risher is captivated by this spiritually attuned, generous, hospitable, honest, and bold woman. The woman from Shunem extends radical hospitality to the prophet, expecting no reward. But when disaster strikes, she does not hesitate to hold Elisha accountable or talk back.

Hidden in the story, Risher believes, are the questions that lead to a more authentic life:

What does it mean to build a holy room in our lives?
How honestly do we confront our inevitable losses and griefs? As we work to transform our world, how do we grapple with failure?
Do we have the kind of faith that can ask bold questions in the face of death?
What openings does radical hospitality create in our lives?

"Every human being goes through so much," Risher reflects, "and there is some heartbreakingly beautiful fruit we are to shape from that. That is our own unique, authentic gift to the world." Her book encourages each of us to find a holy room in which we are in community with others and where we can shape our souls into their unique dimensions. We each need a space for this work-a soulmaking room.

"If we cannot deal with failure, if we do not know how to put our deepest losses in our holy room, and if we do not know who our people are, we can never fully join the joy and power of God's story," Dee Dee Risher asserts. Embark with her on the adventure of creating and discovering the joys of The Soulmaking Room.

Compassion in Practice

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:36:36 GMT

Jesus was a spiritual teacher who demonstrated personal and social transformation. His earliest disciples were first known not as Christians but as followers of the Way. Jesus' Way was a spirituality of radical compassion. He taught how to love and be loved by an extravagantly compassionate God; how to cultivate love for ourselves; and how to love our neighbors by extending love to the outcasts, the offensive, and even our enemies.

Compassion in Practice is an introduction to Christian compassion. It explains not just what Christian compassion looks like but how to practice it in a world ravaged by violence, fear, and reactivity. This book teaches us how to love as Jesus loved.

Expanding on the foundation of Practicing Compassion, Frank Rogers defines the way Jesus prepared his disciples to transform hearts hardened from the assaults of life into compassionate hearts.

Living Compassion

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:30:30 GMT

Named One of the Best Spiritual Books of 2017
by Spirituality and Practice (Frederic & Mary Ann Brussat)

In the face of hurtful public dialogue and worldwide conflict, many Christians want to practice and experience genuine compassion. After all, centuries of Christian teachings have insisted that compassion is at the heart of the Christian life.

"Love your enemies," Jesus said in Luke 6:35-36. "Do good to them. Be compassionate, just as God is compassionate."

How do we become more compassionate toward others, especially our enemies? And since Jesus told us to love our neighbors as ourselves, how do we practice being compassionate toward ourselves?

Join Andrew Dreitcer, codirector of the Center for Engaged Compassion, in exploring how certain Christian spiritual practices are compassion practices. Discover how ancient as well as contemporary practices can shape your life, helping you become more compassionate in today's world.

Dreitcer introduces you to the Compassion Practice, a compassion formation process that has been developed in the last decade. Each chapter includes a "Review and Practice" section to help you apply what you learned. Uncover and learn how to express your innate compassion within you, and find out how to turn your desire for compassion into a life centered in genuine, lasting compassion.

Brave Church

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:28:31 GMT

In today's deeply divided world where discussions can quickly become heated and uncivil, churches need to learn how to talk about sensitive issues. Our society needs brave churches where people can talk about the real struggles they are experiencing without fear of being dismissed, shamed, or judged.

Brave Church helps congregations talk about controversial topics with sensitivity to those who see the world and have experienced life differently from themselves. It guides readers to think through how they can foster conversations about such challenging topics as infertility/miscarriage, mental health, domestic violence, racism, and sexuality.

In this 6-week small-group study, pastor Elizabeth Hagan weaves personal and theological reflections with scripture, discussion questions, and real-world examples to move readers from exploration to action. Brave Church includes a Leader's Guide and suggests resources for further reading and action.

Christ Beside Me, Christ Within Me

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:23:45 GMT

Many Christians long to sense God's presence in their everyday lives but don't know how. Inspired by the ancient form of prayer practiced by the Celtic people, Beth Richardson offers a multitude of short prayers—blessings—that embrace every aspect of daily life.

A sense of joy about ordinary moments of the day pervades this book. Many of the blessings came to Richardson during one of her daily activities—walking her dogs. As she welcomed the day, she thought about celebrations, challenges, and other situations people she loved were facing.

The result is a lovely collection of prayers that recognize God's presence in each moment, from waking to sleeping, from birth to death. The blessings will help readers acknowledge the richness of the gifts of life; express their feelings about special moments such as births, marriages, and graduations; offer words to pray during times of struggle; and give them a way to pray for the world and all its people.

KEY FEATURES

Short, simple prayers to read aloud or memorize
Organized for simple accessibility
Digital versions feature color photography

For Sabbath's Sake

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:22:13 GMT

Discover a spiritual practice that helps you maintain spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental health.

"We toiled on computers seven days per week, rising as early as 4:00 a.m. to squeeze in spiritual quiet time before we both retreated to our respective laptops, typing the days (and weekends) away. Though I grew up keeping Sundays sacred, six years into our marriage, we'd fallen into the trap of using the Lord's Day to catch up. … At its worst, our church attendance was less than 50 percent. … I began, for the first time in my life, to understand why people don't attend church services."

—J. Dana Trent, chapter 1

In our culture of constant busyness, most of us feel like we're never caught up. The lines between home and work have blurred as we stay tethered to our mobile devices and computers. Many people use weekends to catch up on errands and other work that doesn't get done during the week. God's commandment to "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy" seems like a relic from a simpler time.

Many Americans balk at the idea of setting aside a whole day for worship, rest, and time with those who matter most to them. Yet we long for more time to spend on what matters most—unrushed time to rest, reconnect with friends and loved ones, and deepen our relationship with God.

An ancient spiritual practice exists that can help restore balance to our lives: the practice of keeping sabbath. But how exactly do we manage to build time for sabbath into our busy lives? Dana Trent explores this question in For Sabbath's Sake.

With humor and honesty, Trent reveals her own struggles with setting apart a day devoted to God, rest, and community. This book traces the rich history of sabbath, helps you find ways to overcome barriers to this spiritual practice, and suggests achievable ways to build sabbath into your life.

What We Need Is Here

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:20:11 GMT

Are you seeking a deeper, more authentic experience of God? Maybe you've attended retreats, read dozens of books on spirituality, or even consulted a spiritual director and found yourself still wanting more.

Did you know that God has given you everything you need to live and flourish in a life with God? You can stop your restless searching and rediscover the gifts God has already given you.

In What We Need Is Here, Roger Owens calls you to return to 7 basics of Christian spirituality:

Reading the Gospels
Praying the Psalms
Making friends with silence
Finding Jesus at church
Meeting Jesus through Holy Communion
Embodying your spirituality
Being with the poor

Writing in a style that is honest, accessible, and at times humorous, Owens weaves his own stories of struggle with insights from the history of Christian spirituality to help you receive and open yourself to these 7 "givens."

This book includes practical exercises and questions for reflection and discussion, making it ideal for individuals and groups.

We Are Beloved

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:18:22 GMT

Christians often have the head knowledge that we are beloved, but deep in our hearts do we truly believe it? Author Kristen Vincent takes us on a journey with Jesus that helps us discover how deeply beloved we are.

This 6-week Lenten journey follows stories of Jesus' experience of God's love. The incarnate Son of God was made fully human, which means that Jesus had to fully mature in strength and wisdom to learn that he was beloved. Just as Jesus learned of his belovedness, we, too, can cultivate the wisdom and knowledge that we are deeply loved.

Each week begins with a scripture passage, a weekly devotion, reflection questions, an optional prayer bead experience, and a listening meditation. A Leader's Guide for small-group study is also included. Note: This product does not include prayer beads.

Be transformed by God's love this Lenten season.

Beads of Healing

Thu, 05 May 2022 20:10:58 GMT

Healing from trauma begins with the courageous act of telling your story.

Yet many survivors of trauma are afraid to tell anyone about their deeply painful and personal experience(s). Trauma survivors often feel shame, guilt, fear, and anger. They may also carry deep spiritual wounds, such as feeling abandoned or punished by God. They may wonder how they can ever trust God.

In Beads of Healing, Kristen Vincent shares her story of childhood trauma and how she eventually found God's peace, healing, and wholeness. She tells how, over 35 years after the trauma, she encountered God as never before in the presence of a Christian community. In this setting where she felt safe and loved, and through the help of spiritual practices like scripture reading, prayer, group sharing, and reflection, she finally found the peace she had been seeking since age 7.

Vincent models how to name feelings of grief, anger, abandonment, shame, and fear. She gives readers ideas for ways to use prayer beads as a safe way to enter conversations with God, to talk honestly with their Creator, and open themselves to God's love.

This powerful story of one woman's journey to spiritual healing offers hope for all trauma survivors, as well as those who have experienced loss, hurt, or other spiritual wounds. Each chapter includes

a scripture passage that supports the chapter theme
truth-telling (the author talks about the chapter theme from her perspective)
reflection questions
a prayer bead experience
a listening focus (a line to repeat with your prayer beads)
an opportunity to check in with yourself before moving forward

NOTE: The author recommends that readers study this book with someone: a therapist, pastor, spiritual director, or support group. Beads of Healing features a Leader's Guide with an outline for 16 sessions, links to instructions for making prayer beads, and a guide to using prayer beads.

This book will be a valuable resource for pastors, counselors, and others who provide support for trauma survivors.