My exciting transition home from a life of serving in overseas missions was a dream come true. I met and married my "miracle" man. After an exquisite honeymoon in our beloved South Africa, soon after our return to Canada, he transformed into my worst nightmare - a monster determined to violate and destroy me as a person. My place of supposed safety and security, my own home, became my prison house of abuse. This is a story of unexpected shocking tragedy that turned into a triumph of freedom and safety. I have climbed diligently out of a deep dark pit of abuse, with the hope and help of a very present, loving God and many caring people along the way who helped me survive. I am now wearing the badge of honour of a survivor who feels intensely compassionate for those in similar situations. I have earned my latest degree at the "University of the Cross." My greatest desire is that many will be given hope and help as I take off the "duct tape" of silence on this very serious issue in the world and in the Church today.

Christianity Today 2019 Book Award Winner This introductory guide, written by a leading expert in medieval theology and church history, offers a thorough overview of medieval biblical interpretation. After an opening chapter sketching the necessary background in patristic exegesis (especially the hermeneutical teaching of Augustine), the book progresses through the Middle Ages from the eighth to the fifteenth centuries, examining all the major movements, developments, and historical figures of the period. Rich in primary text engagement and comprehensive in scope, it is the only current, compact introduction to the whole range of medieval exegesis.

Congregations cannot exist without finances, priorities, leadership, worship, and decision making, yet these five aspects breed the most conflict between church members and clergy. These conflicts unfortunately tend to bring about the most negative consequences: drops in giving, resignation of leaders, and, perhaps most pointedly, loss of members. The importance of congregations and their effect on our lives is clear, yet what is less clear is what makes conflicts in faith communities inevitable. In Promise and Peril: Understanding and Managing Change and Conflict in Congregations, David Brubaker brings the tools of organizational theory and research to the task of understanding the deeper dynamics of congregational conflict. With a doctorate in sociology and more than twenty years working with congregational conflicts, Brubaker helps to explore the causes and effects of conflicts on a wide range of congregations. This book will help congregations avoid the pitfalls of conflict and instead head toward a healthy relationship between and among church staff and members.

"Apples to Oranges" is about what has happened to the Christian Church since its early formation by the apostles and Jesus' teachings. With the myriad of church denominations today, we ask -- would the founders of the various denominations (if they could return today) even affiliate with their own denominations? How did the different denominations form, and then reform? Was necessity the mother of invention, or was the Church that Christ built simply the victim of human frailty over the ages? Did the Nicolaitan-like early bishops get their Nicolaitanism from trying to compete with Caesar and his royalty? Are the Nicolaitans of today more interested in church politics than in preaching the Gospel? How important were icons to the twelve apostles? Did they insert a row of precious gems in their plain robes to set them apart from each other and those who followed them? Where is biblical support for the sale of indulgences? Was the absence of a male heir to the throne a legitimate reason for starting the Church of England? Is baptizing an infant so important that those refusing to do so were drowned in Switzerland? When God says He is "not willing that any should perish," how does that affect predestination? When Jesus promises not to lose any whom the Father has given Him, are we eternally secure as believers? While sound Christian doctrine is found throughout Scripture, dogmatic practices are absent. The Holy Spirit of God breathed words of truth into the minds of the biblical writers. Since He chose not to pursue dogmatic details, we are similarly bound. Whenever we try to "improve" on God's perfect plan, we fail. When we ignore doctrines declared in Scripture, we also err. There is a need to return to the doctrines and practices of the Apostolic Church.