Every service that marks a death or the anniversary of a death, remembers the life of a unique person and should be prepared with utmost care and thought, and approached with reverence. We tread on holy ground when we accompany those who are experiencing loss. This practical and extremely helpful resource book provides guidelines for creating individualised funeral, thanksgiving and memorial services and includes a wide range of prayers, readings and reflections for each stage of the service from the gathering words of welcome to the committal and final blessing, and suggestions for symbolic acts of remembrance. Resources are also included for creating special services, such as for those facing their first Christmas after a bereavement. All resources may be downloaded from the accompanying CD Rom. Pastoral guidance is offered for every step of the way in funeral ministry, including the first visit to a bereaved family, prayers for a funeral visit, making practical arrangements with funeral directors, crafting orders of service, using music and images, and supporting those in particularly distressing circumstances.

Project Holiness: Marriage as a Workshop for Everyday Saints celebrates the holiness of the ordinary and the goodness of married discipleship. Vatican II's Lumen Gentium reminds Catholics of the universal call to holiness. Each person-lay and ordained alike-shares this vocation to holiness, this call to sainthood. For most adult Catholics, it is within the context of vowed, married life that the joyful and challenging path to sainthood is traveled. Based on an extensive qualitative study of long-lasting Catholic marriages, Bridget Burke Ravizza and Julie Donovan Massey examine the virtues, values, and practices that ground flourishing marriages and lead married partners to holiness.

The rite of marriage (betrothal and crowning) as celebrated in the Holy Orthodox Church. the text is in Greek and English on in columns and follows the Great Euchologion of the Great Church of Christ. Also included are the Service for a Second Marriage, and the Service for the Restoration of a Marriage for those Previously Divorced. The translation is base on that of V. Rev. Arch. Ephrem Lash. Music aids are included in both Byzantine and Western notation and were arranged Fr. Ephraim of St. Anthony Monastery, Florence, Arizona.

We live in a world filled to the brim with advice, and when it comes to dealing with stress, there's plenty of advice to go around. Sleep more, eat better, avoid this, seek out that. But more advice on coping is not necessarily what the stressed and anxious person needs. What we need is a cure. Linda Evans Shepherd has discovered it.
The true remedy to stress, she says, is prayer. In this inspiring book, Shepherd shows readers how to recognize God's continual presence and yield their troubles to the Prince of Peace. Through captivating stories, explorations of fascinating biblical characters, and examples of deeper-than-ever prayers, she brings within readers' grasp the peace that passes understanding. Anyone who is overwhelmed by all of the urgent demands on their time will find in this book a lifeline to true peace.

Contains all the advice, guidance and resources a church needs to discuss admitting children to Holy Communion before confirmation Includes a ready-to-use preparation course for the whole family Also includes answers to the most common objections from parishes and an outline admission service Authors have many years' experience of advising and resourcing parishes on this issue

Experience God in the here and now through Communion. This book explores how celebrating the presence of God With Us through Holy Communion nourishes our souls, refreshes our sense of community, and equips us for mission in Christ's name. Yet many Christians do not understand Communion or see it only as an empty ritual. Because of that, low worship attendance or enthusiasm commonly accompanies Communion Sundays--leaving churches feeling spiritually depleted. This book provides insights and practical suggestions for giving this sacrament a more prominent role, not just in church life, but in the Christian formation of individuals. For small groups, Sunday school classes, and as a preaching resource, Holy Communion: Celebrating God with Us by Kenneth M. Loyer and general editor William H. Willimon is suitable for a four-week study and includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter. The Belief Matters series assists pastors and clergy in explaining fundamental elements of the church and its worship to congregations. Holy Communion is the second in the series and follows Incarnation by William H. Willimon.

By itself, Mother Mary Loyola's first book, "First Communion, " stands as a monumental achievement in catechesis, in that it teaches children the crucial truths of our faith in a way that is equally understandable and appealing, despite the fact that more than a century has passed since it was written.
This book of questions, written by Mother Loyola as a supplement to "First Communion, " takes this achievement one step further, by facilitating classroom discussion of the material found in each chapter. Each lesson provides discussion questions, tied to page references in the source material, as well as additional stories designed to reinforce the concepts learned. Both catechists and parents alike will find this volume helpful in preparing children to receive the Blessed Sacrament.

From the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus men have attempted to follow him by building narrow structures around doctrines that may or may not reflect the truth of the Scripture they suppose to base it on. Many Christian religions, when teaching about their foundational doctrine on which they base their faith, refer the seeker to the tradition of their particular church rather than the biblical basis. Traditions appear in many ways in formal religion, but the most obvious is in ceremonial and sacramental worship. In the pages that follow, I will attempt to show the importance and the absolute necessity of getting past the traditions of men. It is not my intention here to attack religions, but rather to show the error of accepting a tradition over scriptural truth. When speaking of religion, in this book I refer to the system that has been set in place, and not necessarily all the people that have membership in such a group. Robert A. French Robert (Bob) French has been in the ministry for over fifty years and during that time he has been an evangelist, a pastor, and missionary and has ministered in many countries and islands of the sea. He is now pastor of Balance Life Christian Fellowship in the city of St. Charles Missouri. Through the years Bro. French has conducted tent and auditorium meetings as well as speaking in hundreds of churches. He has pioneered in several places including the island of Puerto Rico where he and his wife spent three years in the San Juan area. Bro. French has spent a great deal of time working in Mexico and along with his oldest son Brian. He spends most of his time these days ministering to his local congregation and writing.

'Most illustrious Prince, I have considered that the Supper of the Lord (which has been violated by many and great superstitions, and turned into gain) should be renovated and restored according to the institutions of our Saviour Christ; and I have considered that all should be performed according to the Divine Word and of the Ancient and Holy Church, the care and instruction of which belong in some part to my office'. (Thomas Cranmer, Dedication to King Edward VI, A Defence of the True and Catholic Doctrine of the Sacrament.) In this fascinating and practical study, Nigel Scotland looks closely at the Service of Holy Communion in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, and with further illumination from earlier versions of the Prayer Book and Cranmer's other writings, draws conclusions which may refresh and challenge our contemporary practices. The aim of this 'Anglican Foundations' series which focuses on the Formularies of the Church of England and the elements of the different services within the Prayer Book is to highlight what those services teach about the Christian faith and to demonstrate how they are also designed to shape the practice of that faith. As well as providing an account of the origins of the Prayer Book services, they offer practical guidance on how such services may be used in Christian ministry. Nigel Scotland has spent the greater part of his life lecturing in Church History at what became the University of Gloucestershire. He has served as rector of four country parishes and led a Fresh Expressions church plant for 13 years. Since 2006 he has taught theology students at Trinity College Bristol. He is married to Anne and in their leisure time they enjoy music, walking in the Cotswolds, gardening, visits to the gym and enjoying times with their grand-children. He studied at McGill and Bristol Universities and earned a doctorate at Aberdeen University. He is the author of eighteen books mostly in the area of Christian history.

Catholic colleges and universities have long engaged in conversation about how to fulfill their mission in creative ways across the curriculum. The "sacramental vision" of Catholic higher education posits that God is made manifest in the study of all disciplines.

"Becoming Beholders" is the first book to share pedagogical strategies about how to do that. Twenty faculty--from many religious backgrounds, and in fields such as chemistry, economics, English, history, mathematics, sociology and theology--discuss ways that their teaching nourishes students' ability to find the transcendent in their studies.

Begun the same year he started work on his renowned dogmatics, the Loci Theologici, Gerhard's A Comprehensive Explanation... is a masterpiece in its own right. In 67 chapters (31 for Baptism, 36 for the Lord's Supper), Gerhard examines issues which are of vital importance today: Who may officiate at a Baptism, or celebrate the Lord's Supper? May substances other than bread and wine be used in the Lord's Supper? What is the proper preparation for receiving holy communion? May Baptism be repeated? Is immersion necessary for a valid Baptism? All these questions (and many more) are answered by Gerhard on the basis of Holy Scripture. Gerhard's profound knowledge of the Scriptures makes this volume a wonderful resource.