David W. Shenk and Ervin R. Stutzman weave into the biblical commentary practical applications gleaned from contemporary theology, anthropology, sociology, psychology, and communication theory. Includes questions for review, study and discussion. 232 Pages.

Andrew A. Bonar's biography of Robert Murray M'Cheyne, the young yet pioneering Scottish minister who revolutionized Bible readings at home and abroad, offers a meticulously detailed yet lively telling of his life story. Born to a middle-class family in Edinburgh in 1813, the young Robert demonstrated intellectual ability at an early age. Upon attending the city's university, he quickly became regarded as a remarkably gifted religious scholar. His intuitive skills and theological knowledge exceeded all expectations, and he became an assistant to John Bonar of the famous Bonar family. Robert Murray M'Cheyne was appointed a delegate of the Church of Scotland when it organized a visit to Jerusalem and the Holy Land. By all accounts this journey was spiritually fulfilling for the young minister, with the major findings and progress of the voyage recorded in his work entitled Narrative of a Visit to the Holy Land and Mission of Inquiry to the Jews.

The average age of churchgoers in Britain is now 47. Almost every denomination is experiencing steady decline. How sure can we be that we are still offering something people want to hear? Alison Morgan identifies four clear reasons to be confident: 1. The gospel still speaks to confused teens and weary sceptics. By embracing doubts and welcoming questions it remains open to us to present something which answers people's real needs. 2. The word of truth and the Spirit of power still exercise authority and compel attention. Alison's own experience of ministry in the UK and abroad provides illustrations. 3. Spiritual gifts, given not to excite individuals but in order to renew the church for its core task of mission, are powerfully present and widely recognised and practised. 4. In a time of rapid cultural change, new expressions of church are constantly emerging: this is necessary to guard against vital spirituality sliding into drab religion.