February 2012

Renewing Identity and Mission: Mennonite Brethren Reflections After 150 Years
Editors: Abe J. Dueck, Bruce L. Guenther, and Doug Heidebrecht
This book includes 17 of the 30 presentations given at the Renewing Identity and Mission consultation celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Mennonite Brethren at Trinity Western University, Langley, B.C., July 12–14, 2010. The consultation, attended by some 300 delegates, was planned by the Centre for MB Studies together with the MB Historical Commission

Not many people have a theological epiphany in the context of doctoral research. But I did.

Missional Spirituality: Embodying God’s Love from the Inside Out
Authors: Roger Helland & Leonard Hjalmarson
Missional Spirituality by Roger Helland and Leonard Hjalmarson came to me at just the right time. It brought together two ideas I’ve spent a great deal of time thinking about and discussing with people.

Transitions: Leading Churches Through Change
Editor: David Mosser
Transitions: Leading Churches Through Change is an attempt to provide church leaders with wisdom for helping congregations deal with change in their personal lives, in their churches, and in society at large. Some chapters contain intriguing research on leading change and related topics. Other chapters feature moving testimonies from leaders who succeeded and sometimes failed in their change efforts.

The Ethics of Evangelism: A Philosophical Defense of Proselytizing and Persuasion
Author: Elmer John Thiessen
“Some philosophers have described a human as a social or political animal. Others have suggested that a human is a rational animal. I would describe humans as proselytizing animals…. It is in the nature of a human beings to proselytize.”

Beyond the Gods and Back
Author: Reginald Bibby
Statistical analysis is not usually for the faint of heart. However, both for those who enjoy raw statistical data, and those who prefer to skip right to the application of those stats, University of Lethbridge sociologist Reginald Bibby has written an important book for our Canadian religious culture.

Nearing Home: Life, Faith, and Finishing Well
Author: Billy Graham
I was quite put off at first. It was all so familiar. We had heard it a hundred times and more: “The Bible says.” The Scripture passages and their interpretation were all so familiar. I was hoping to hear something fresh, some new ways of hearing the old sacred words. True, there was also the familiar ring of authenticity, that humble integrity, which had characterized Billy Graham’s ministry through all those decades we had known him.

10 Things Jesus Never Said: And Why You Should Stop Believing Them
Author: Will Davis Jr.
Do you ever think God is disappointed in you? If so, you need to read Will Davis Jr.’s 10 Things Jesus Never Said: And Why You Should Stop Believing Them.